All's Fair in Love and War
by Renaerys
Summary: The horrors of war are acutely felt by soldiers, but it is the healers who bear the burden of dealing mercy or salvation. When help arrives in the form of the Raikage's withdrawn bodyguard, Sakura begins to wonder if there's a difference.
1. I

All's Fair in Love and War  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.  
Rating: T  
World: 4th Shinobi War

**Author's note: **I know, okay? I know. Until I get my shit together, enjoy this new fic because I can't help but write a million things all at once.

_**I**_

* * *

"Sakura! Are you alright?"

Sakura looked up from where she had the Zetsu clone in a choke hold, her free fist glowing blue with destructive chakra. Akimichi Tobiko burst through the tent flap, followed by two other shinobi on guard duty. When they saw Sakura's position, understanding dawned.

"The spy," Tobiko growled, immediately on high alert.

Sakura turned back to the intruder. "That's right. He was posing as Hyuuga Neji using an advanced transformation technique. Somehow, he was able to copy Neji's chakra signature well enough to fool our sensors."

The Zetsu clone sneered. "Don't think that it ends here. There are one hundred thousand copies of me running around. You never know who might be an enemy lurking in your midst."

Sakura's expression darkened at his smirk, his teeth dyed a dark green from his blood. "Unfortunately for you, your usefulness has just run out now that I know your secret. All that's left is a physical examination."

The Zetsu clone glared at her. "Little bi—"

He didn't have the time to finish his insult because Sakura's fist connected with his face, effectively snapping his neck and killing him instantly. A moment of deathly calm befell her as she stared down at her handiwork. As a medical ninja, she rarely dealt death to her enemies. When the occasion called for it though, her methods were usually more brutal than others'. This was war, and mercy shown to an enemy was out of the question. Sakura pulled herself up and dusted off her pants.

"Tobiko, please let Shizune know that I eliminated the spy. We'll run an autopsy on the corpse to see what we can learn about his transformation technique," Sakura said, already returning to her makeshift desk and rearranging the supplies scattered in her short skirmish with the clone.

Tobiko nodded, his expression grim. "You two. Bring that body to the lab tent and be quick about it," he barked at the other two guards.

The guards hastily acquiesced, already moving to lift the clone's corpse and carry it out of Sakura's tent. Tobiko disappeared through the tent flap and suddenly the office felt much emptier without the large man occupying it. Alone with her mess and smatterings of green blood, Sakura clenched her fists and allowed herself a moment of anger.

_I can't believe he killed so many Jounin medics before we figured it out._

It was unacceptable. They'd lost five top healers this morning all in the course of about two hours. Never mind the fact that no one could figure out how to differentiate the Zetsu clones from those they impersonated; no one had even seen 'Neji' murdering shinobi left and right.

Sakura rubbed her eyes. The only Jounin medical ninja left were Shizune and a middle-aged couple from Iwagakure. Advanced medical ninja were a rare commodity, but outside of Konoha they were a dying breed. Most medics were trained enough to act in emergencies on the field, but few were able to perform intensive surgeries under time pressure for complicated injuries. The few that could from the five villages were all but eliminated this morning. While still technically a Chuunin, Sakura's level of skill matched the best Jounin medics because she'd been trained by the Godaime Hokage and had perfect chakra control. Unfortunately, she was the exception to the rule. The rest of the medical staff was composed of Chuunin, whose training was still largely incomplete, and nurses, who were mostly unskilled in medical ninjutsu but had knowledge of general healing practices. Hell, at this point they were even sending over Genin to perform any tasks that didn't involve healing with chakra.

_How can such a small hospital force ensure the health of the entire shinobi alliance?_

Sakura ruminated over that depressing thought as she made her way to the lab tent on autopilot. When she arrived, Shizune was already there and directing the two guards to lay the dead Zetsu clone on a stainless steel examination table.

"Oh Sakura, are you alright?" Shizune asked, immediately going to her younger counterpart and giving her a concerned once-over.

Sakura managed a wry smile. "Yeah, fine. I got him before he could get me."

"How did you know he was posing as Neji?"

Sakura frowned. "It was obvious that he wasn't the real Neji when he thought Tonton was a person instead of a pig." Everyone in Konoha knew about Tsunade's beloved pet pig.

Shizune shook her head. "Unbelievable. Who knows how long this would have gone on otherwise?"

The rhetorical question hung heavily in the air for a moment. They'd been lucky that the Zetsu clone had inadvertently given himself away, and they knew it.

"Well, aside from a cracked skull resulting in severe brain hemorrhaging, the body seems to be intact," Shizune said as she and Sakura returned their attention to the still cadaver awaiting their examination. "I suppose I should thank you for not punching a hole through his stomach."

Sakura's lips curled up in a grim smile. "Tempting as it was, I didn't want my office covered in green slime."

"Let's get started then, shall we? I imagine you and I will be here working on this for most of the day."

Sakura nodded and the two women set to work.

* * *

The hours ticked by and Sakura's hunger was becoming a ravenous beast with a mind of its own. Her hands were slicked with dark green blood, and she suspected with no small degree of revulsion that it would take a good amount of effort to get it out from under her fingernails later. Shizune had departed after an hour to tend to more injured shinobi rolling in, leaving Sakura to work on the autopsy alone. Kana and Kentarou, the medic nin couple from Iwa, could not sustain their chakra output to heal every patient in need of medical attention alone all day. Sakura felt guilty about not being able to help out, but figuring out the mystery of Zetsu's transformation technique was a top priority for the greater war effort.

After all this time, they hadn't learned much other than the fact that the makeup of the clone's internal workings more closely resembled a plant's than any mammal's, something which disturbed Sakura in a way that she could not quite place. Despite the fact that this body clearly did not belong to Neji, if Sakura closed her eyes and merely examined it with chakra she would never have been the wiser. It was as if he'd _become _Neji in every way, which was a phenomenon Sakura had not previously thought possible. Even his eyes bore the same complex interior design as a typical Hyuuga's, although Sakura doubted that the clone would have been able to activate the Byakugan beyond the physical resemblance. No matter how good a transformation, there was no way that bloodline limit could be copied in such a manner.

_No one said this was going to be an easy egg to crack, _Sakura thought to herself as she washed and disinfected her hands in a portable sink. Casting the corpse one last glance—it was cut clean down the middle with its strange insides naked to the world—Sakura exited the tent and instructed the guards on duty not to let anyone who wasn't Shizune or herself pass. Then she made her way to the mess hall to grab a quick meal.

"Sakura, there you are. I was just about to send someone to fetch you," Shizune said as Sakura entered the mess hall. "You haven't had anything to eat since this morning."

"Yeah," Sakura said, her stomach taking that time to growl embarrassingly. "Guess it's about that time."

Shizune grinned, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She looked worn out and sleep-deprived. Sakura imagined she looked no better. The two women passed a couple rows of tables occupied by a few stray late eaters to get to the food line. At this hour, most people had already scarfed down hasty meals and returned to work so they made it to the front quickly. Sakura chose the tofu dish and Shizune chose the chicken dish.

"How was the body count today?" Sakura asked between bites. It was bland and a little undercooked, but she figured that the taste of her food didn't really matter in a war setting. At least there was food at all.

Shizune put her utensil down and stared at her food. "Of the ones receiving new treatments, about seventeen are still in critical condition. So far, we've lost eight. It's going to be another long night to save the others."

Sakura immediately lost her appetite. "That's already nearly twice as many dead as three days ago," she said, aghast. "How can that be?"

"We lost five Jounin medics, that's how. I'm not going to lie to you, Sakura. This is very bad. I received word earlier today that the Edo Tensei ninja are pushing back our front line. Some of the Zetsu clones have taken to infiltrating the ranks disguised as friendly shinobi. The only reason they're being rooted out swiftly is because the divisions are kept small enough that everyone knows everyone else's face and duplicates are easy to spot. As the central medical camp, we have the best lab medics and surgeons on hand while the field medics man the front lines. I'd say another infiltration is imminent, if it hasn't already happened."

Sakura let the ugly truth wash over her. "There's got to be something more we can do. This can't be the end of the line. We have to find out the secret to that transformation technique. If we can just find a way to discern the clones from the real thing…" She trailed off, knowing all too well that such an answer would not come to them easily, if at all.

"I've already sent for reinforcements. The top field medics should be arriving here over the next day or so."

"That will mean less support out in the field though."

"I know that," Shizune said, sighing. "But we need them here more than the soldiers need them on the front lines where they'll be targeted and killed off first. I know you were hoping to return to the Third Division soon, but I'm afraid you'll have to stay here. I'm sure I don't need to explain why."

Sakura shook her head, her mind reeling. "Yeah, I know. I wish Lady Tsunade were here."

"Me too, but that's not an option at the moment. She's a Kage, so she has more pressing responsibilities in the field."

Silence fell as they picked at their food. Sakura would have given up long ago, but the tickle of hunger in her stomach reminded her that her body needed nourishment even if her spirit wanted none of it.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Shizune said, rising from her seat and taking her tray to the waste bin.

Sakura followed suit. "I'll take over for now. You should get some rest."

Shizune shook her head. "Not until we bring those patients on the edge back from the brink. I could use your help with it though. Kana and Kentarou are taking a break after working all last night and today."

Sakura nodded numbly. "Of course. I'll resume the autopsy later."

They departed the nearly deserted mess hall, ghostlike as they made to face the forces of death head on once more.

* * *

Shī entered the alliance headquarters' main meeting room in response to his summons. He'd just returned from a scouting mission for the Fifth Division, averting what would have been a crisis leading to a bloodbath had the enemy's ambush been successful. In the heat of the moment he'd had to participate in the hand-to-hand combat, but it was a somewhat welcome feeling after being relegated to the sidelines all this time.

As the bodyguard of the Raikage, Shī was known in his native Cloud as a formidable shinobi not only for his acute sensory perception, for also for his quick thinking and swift attack style in battle. A genjutsu expert, he preferred to sneak attack his enemies, place them under illusion, then deliver the killing blow from the shadows. This in contrast to his partner, Darui, who couldn't help but make a grandiose entrance and practically announce his position and next attack with a flourish of fancy footwork and flashy lightning. It was no wonder that Darui and A enjoyed competing with each other in their free time, much to Shī's exasperation. While he had nothing against roughhousing and sparring in general, people in their positions had a certain image to maintain as leaders, especially A.

"Shī, there you are." Ao, his superior in the Sensory Division, turned to face him when he entered.

Shī bowed in greeting, a formality ingrained since childhood. Even though Ao was a Mist shinobi, they were on the same side in this war and had to cooperate. Shī didn't mind working with him, in truth. Ao was efficient and a strong leader, and Shī had come to respect him a great deal in a short time for his experience and skill. Ao held down the headquarters with a team of three Jounin sensors keeping tabs on the allied forces' movements through the use of a special barrier. The rest of the division was composed of mostly Chuunin and a few Jounin scattered among the ranks of the shinobi alliance, helping to weed out the enemy and curtail surprise attacks.

"Shī, I understand that you're a gifted medical ninja."

Shī turned to the room's other occupants. The speaker, Nara Shikaku, regarded him with a hard look only made more intimidating by the scars stretching across his face. His partner, Yamanaka Inoichi, sat on a cushion against the far wall with his eyes closed and a metal helmet on his head. Shī pressed his lips together at the sight of the Konoha shinobi.

"Yes, sir," he said with cold decorum.

"There's been an incident at the central medical camps," Shikaku went on. "A Zetsu clone impersonating a member of the Hyuuga clan infiltrated the site and slaughtered five Jounin medical ninja before he was discovered."

Shī narrowed dark eyes at the news. He knew for a fact that Ao had dispatched one of their members to the medical camps to screen incoming patients, so how had this clone gotten past that line of defense? He and Ao had hand-picked the members of the Sensory Division, so he knew they were worth their salt.

"Apparently, our on-site sensor couldn't distinguish the clone from the real deal," Ao clarified. "There's currently an autopsy happening on the clone's corpse, but it doesn't look like we've learned anything significant yet."

"You're sending me there," Shī deadpanned. "With so few capable medics on hand, we'll need as much support there as possible."

Ao sensed Shī's displeasure at the thought, but he kept his expression schooled. "You're a Jounin level medical ninja and a sensor type. You're an ideal candidate to work directly with the captain of the Medical Division."

Shikaku nodded. "Shizune is one of the most skilled medical ninja Konoha has ever seen. I'm sure you know her by reputation at least."

Shī remained silent. He knew about the Konoha medics, all right. The Godaime Hokage was renowned as the world's greatest medical ninja since the Shodai Hokage, who happened to be her grandfather. And the Hokage's apprentices were just as notorious for their developing talents. Konoha had a monopoly on the best medical resources and talent, a fact that they held no qualms reminding the other countries about as often as possible. The mastermind behind the Edo Tensei technique was also a former Konoha medical ninja. Shī clenched a fist.

_Damnit._

"Yes, I know of her," he said, keeping his inner thoughts to himself. If Shī was one thing, it was a stringent abider of protocol and hierarchies. "Will I be going alone?"

Shikaku scrutinized him for a moment, and Shī decided he did not like that look. This man was in charge of strategy and tactics for the entire shinobi alliance, a genius tactician and war veteran. Certainly, he lived up to his reputation and could deliver concrete results, which was enough to make Shī adhere to his leadership without question. But he didn't have to tolerate the man on any other level.

"No. We'll be sending over two others with you, also Jounin level field medics. Any more than that and our soldiers will be too severely compromised. The three of you will depart together as soon as they arrive here and report to the central medical camp for training."

Shī nodded his acknowledgement and turned to Ao. "If that's all, I'd like to pack my things and be ready to leave as soon as possible."

"Of course, you're dismissed," Ao said, shooting him a significant look.

Shī turned to leave but Shikaku's voice stopped him. "Shī, I'm sure this goes without saying, but I'd like to remind you that we're all in this together. The village denominations are superfluous at this point as we work toward the common goal. Keep that in mind as you undertake this new assignment."

"Yes, sir," Shī said, his voice polite but cold. "Please excuse me."

Shī walked out of the office at a brisk pace, his blonde hair ruffling in the small wind he created with the motion. Making a beeline for the quarters he shared with Ao, he made quick work of packing, making sure to take only the essentials. After about ten minutes of the sound of rustling clothes and zippers, he went to the bathroom to retrieve his toothbrush and stopped to examine his reflection.

Dark eyes stared back at him and took in the dirt and scratches on his face from the earlier bout with the undead enemy. If he hadn't been there, the Fifth Division would have been obliterated. He was more useful in the field, of this he was certain. But duty compelled him to help out where he was most needed, and right now that was in the medical tents. Ao's words from the day they formed the Sensory Division returned to him then. Deep down, Shī knew that as a rare sensor type, he was in a unique position to positively change the outcome of this war. He would have to find a way to play on this advantage while lending his medical abilities where they were most needed.

It was a noble calling and one that had saved the lives of countless allies and friends over the course of his short nineteen-year lifespan. He was as good at saving lives as he was at taking them. It was for his lethal versatility that he'd been chosen as the Raikage's personal guard despite his extreme youth. Darui was fourteen years his senior and the Raikage could have been his grandfather, but Cloud knew talent when it came along.

Still, the idea of working directly with Konoha medical shinobi was irritating. It wasn't that he felt a personal animosity toward Shizune or any other specific individual—they were, after all, in this war effort together. Rather, it was the influence of Konoha on the greater shinobi world that he disdained. Most of the enemy had originated in Konoha, and the mysterious masked man held a century-old vendetta against his old hometown. It bothered him to think that Konoha's problems seemed to have overflowed and infected the rest of the shinobi world in a sense. Shī would do this without complaint because it was his responsibility as a shinobi and a medic besides, but it would be purely a professional endeavor. He would do his job and try to ignore the fact that he'd be working closely with more Konoha shinobi than before.

Never taking his eyes off his reflection, Shī lifted a hand to his face. It began to glow green and pulsate a bit with his chakra. In one slow sweep of his face, all evidence of injury was erased. All that was left was the sweat and grime, but that would come off in the shower.

_Time to leave, _he thought to himself as he quickly stripped and blasted the freezing shower water.

* * *

Reviews are love, and they inspire me to keep writing! 3


	2. II

All's Fair in Love and War  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

_**II**_

* * *

To Sakura's relief, she and the three Jounin medical ninja somehow managed to save most of the critical patients. One had been a Yamanaka who looked so much like Ino that Sakura nearly lost her professional demeanor as she worked double time to seal the gaping hole in his chest. He would live, but it would be quite a while before he saw the front lines again.

"Sakura, the reinforcements are here. Come out and greet them properly," Kana said gruffly, poking her head into the tent.

Sakura turned to regard the grey-haired kunoichi. She was a tough cookie, very severe looking with her permanent scowl and tightly wound bun. Sakura had never seen the woman smile, but she supposed that there wasn't much to smile about around here. Kana was the opposite of her husband in many ways. Kentarou had crows' feet from smiling too much, and his hair still had more black than grey despite being older than his wife. They were both highly skilled medics and easy to work with, so Sakura did not mind them in the least. Not wanting to keep the others waiting, Sakura ordered the Yamanaka clansman to sleep and got up to follow Kana to the administration tent.

When the pair made it to the entrance, Sakura observed that Kentarou, Shizune, Tobiko, and various other guards were already there to greet the newcomers. Miho, the Chuunin dispatched to the medical site as the designated sensor, was conversing with one of the three visitors. Sakura could not make them out well from her position.

After a moment, Miho turned to Tobiko. "They look okay to me."

Tobiko grunted. "No offense little lady, but I'll have to ask them the most recent passcode."

"Horse, eagle, ram, snake, dragon, dragon, horse, ox, tiger," said the blonde male of the group.

The lumbering Akimichi peered down at the youth, who was a good foot shorter than him. "That's correct," he grumbled, clearly still suspicious.

Sakura stepped forward to get a better look at them. There were two women. One was perhaps around Shizune's age with cropped navy blue hair and matching eyes, tanned skin, and a bold nose piercing. The other was older, her red hair tied back in a thick bun. Her green eyes reminded Sakura of the Zetsu clone's blood, but she forced the thought out of her mind and instead shifted her gaze to the lone male of the group.

He was tall, maybe a good six or seven inches taller than her. His blonde hair fell in a messy mop, but it wasn't exactly unkempt. He looked very young, she thought with some surprise. Medics were usually on the older side due to the delicate and meticulous nature of the training required to reach the top ranks. Shizune herself had not reached her current skill level without years and years of rigorous one-on-one training under Tsunade. Sakura was a bit of an anomaly in that sense. She had a raw talent for healing and perfect chakra control to cut the training time virtually in half. Idly, she wondered if this young man might be similarly gifted or if the times were desperate enough to call for anyone with medical training to report for duty.

As though hearing her thoughts, his dark eyes suddenly locked with Sakura's. Against her better judgment, an image of Sasuke flashed across her mind as she stared into those depthless charcoal eyes. They looked so much like Sasuke's eyes that the sight of him gave her unpleasant chills.

"Welcome, and thank you for getting here so quickly," Shizune said, stepping forward to greet the trio. "I'm Shizune, the head of this Logistical Support and Medical Division. Akimichi Tobiko is the captain of our guard."

Tobiko just grunted.

"We're happy to be of service, Shizune," the redheaded woman said, bowing politely. "I am Hayashi Hina of the Hidden Mist."

Shizune nodded at the woman.

"I would say let's kick some ass and take names, but I guess we're here to do the opposite," the blue-haired woman said, grinning.

"That's true," Shizune said, smiling politely.

"The name's Akari," she appended, pointing to her chest with a thumb. "I'm actually one of the Waterfall recruits. There aren't too many of us, but we can pack it as well as the next guys."

"Oh, I had heard that there were some Falls shinobi scattered throughout the ranks, but I didn't think I'd get the opportunity to meet one of you in person," Shizune said.

Sakura quirked a brow. She had a feeling she might get along with this woman.

"And you?" Shizune addressed the final guest.

"Call me Shī," the young man said.

"Shī," Shizune repeated. After a moment, her eyes widened. "Oh! You're the Raikage's personal guard and second in command of the Sensor Division."

"Former second in command. The three of us are now a part of the Medical Division," he said, his tone somewhat clipped.

_Wow, the Raikage's personal guard? This guy must be something else, _Sakura thought to herself. She didn't really think much of his stuffy formal tone.

"Right, well," Shizune said. "Here's how this is going to play out. Each of you will receive some basic training in how we run things around here. You'll each be paired with one of my head medics. I understand that you're all field medics. Even though the concepts are essentially the same, things are a bit different in a lab setting where you'll be expected to perform lengthy invasive surgery. Please try to learn all that you can from my team so that we can save some more lives."

Hina nodded and Akari grinned confidently. Shī remained stony-faced and silent, and suddenly Sakura got the impression that he was bothered by something. What that might be, she could not begin to guess.

"Hina, you'll be paired with Kana."

Kana stepped forward, her scowl ever present. "Alright, let's get this over with. And don't blame me if you can't keep up."

Hina bowed. "I appreciate your guidance."

Kana _hmph_ed, but Sakura knew that was about as close to approval as anyone could probably get with the woman. They disappeared into the main tent.

"Kentarou, please assist Akari," Shizune said, gesturing with a sweep of her hand.

"It would be my pleasure," Kentarou said, smiling warmly.

"Sweet. Let's get this bitch on the road," Akari said, her language making Kentarou's smile falter just slightly. She patted Shī on the shoulder before leaving the room with Kentarou, but the blonde ignored the gesture.

"And that leaves Shī with Sakura."

Sakura blinked. "Me? But don't you want to train him yourself?"

Shizune turned to her younger counterpart. "One of us will have to continue making rounds. Besides, I'd like you to include Shī in your autopsy examination."

"_Haruno_ Sakura?" Shī said, fixing his heavy stare on her once more.

Sakura met it and the chill crept up her spine again. It seemed he recognized her by name and appearance. "Yes?"

"You're the Godaime Hokage's apprentice, but if I remember correctly you're just a Chuunin."

Sakura immediately bristled at that. It wasn't an insult per se, but she had a feeling it would turn into one soon. "Yeah, what about it?"

Shī returned his focus to Shizune. "I don't mean to question your authority here, but you should at least respect the hierarchy of rank and station. The privileges of former mentorships mean little in wartime."

It was Shizune's turn to bristle, although she hid it well. "I assure you that Sakura is more than capable of working closely with the rest of the Jounin medics and showing you the ropes. She may be young, but she's the most promising medical ninja I've ever met, regardless of rank and station."

Sakura had to resist the urge to cross her arms at the risk of appearing childish, but she was not at all happy about Shī's blatant dismissal of her skills simply from confirming the fact that she was a Chuunin. Hell, Naruto was still a Genin technically, and he was one of the strongest shinobi on the continent. What was this guy's deal? Was he just another one of those elitist male shinobi with an ego the size of the Fire Country?

"Fine, as the captain of this division, I'll trust your judgment," Shī said. There was no emotion in his voice at all, but Sakura knew he was not happy about this arrangement.

_Jerk._

"If that's all, I'll be getting back to the patients now. I trust there'll be no problems," Shizune said. Then, turning to Sakura she added, "Let me know if you find anything out about that corpse, no matter how small."

"Sure," Sakura said, her resolve to solve this mystery renewed.

Shizune left them and Sakura turned to Shī, who merely watched her with those intensely dark eyes. It seemed he had some of Sasuke's arrogance in him to further emphasize the eerie similarities, she thought grimly.

_Stop thinking about Sasuke._

"This way," Sakura said, turning on her heel and not waiting for him to follow.

Passing by sickbeds and the OR tent, Sakura steadfastly made her way to the small lab section where Zetsu's clone was still resting under constant surveillance. After a moment, footsteps could be heard catching up to her. She didn't turn around to acknowledge him or point out anything they passed. That could wait until later when he got an attitude check.

_Something tells me that's wishful thinking._

Once at the lab, Sakura wasted no time in rolling up the sleeves of her Jounin shirt and beginning the arduous task of sterilization.

"This is the clone that made it past the guards," Shī stated more than asked, drawing up next to the table and staring down at the mutilated cadaver.

"Yes. He was disguised as an allied shinobi when he slaughtered five Jounin medics," Sakura said, scrubbing her hands up to the elbow.

"And yet, no one seemed to notice that someone was running around murdering medics right in front of them."

Sakura's lips twisted in distaste. The way he said it made it sound like they were to blame for not having caught the imposter sooner, like they hadn't done enough. She finished rinsing and dried herself off on one of the disposable sterile towels from a nearby bin. "That's right. Not even the sensor your division sent us could tell the difference."

The two medics stared each other down, neither wanting to back off. She'd known the guy for all of five minutes and already she didn't like him. What was his problem, anyway? Was he _trying _to antagonize her?

Just then, Shī broke the staring contest and brushed past her to get to the sink where he removed his arm guards and began washing his hands just as she'd done. In the narrow tent dominated by the stainless steel examination table in the middle, Sakura felt his bare upper arm brush her shoulder with his passing. She wanted to rub the spot where it tingled in the wake of the fleeting contact, but stopped herself to avoid having to wash again. When they were both ready, they stood on opposite sides of the table and peered over the cleaved corpse.

"What have you learned?" Shī asked, his eyes roaming over the body.

"Not much," Sakura said, the disappointment evident in her tone. "First of all, his composition is more similar to a plant's than a human's. What's truly baffling is that he was able to become Neji down to the cellular level almost completely."

"Neji?"

"Oh, the shinobi he impersonated," Sakura clarified.

Shī was silent for a moment as he resumed his scrutiny of her. "You know him personally."

"I don't see how that's relevant, but yes, if you must know."

"Did you really not notice that this thing wasn't your friend?"

Sakura's indignation returned with renewed vigor. "For your information, it's _because_ I know Neji personally that I figured out this _thing _wasn't him. He said something to me that the real Neji never would have said, and that's when I took him out."

At this, Shī blinked as though surprised. "It was you?"

"That's right. He came at me and I bashed his head in. End of story."

Another staring contest ensued, but this one was less hostile and more curious, like he had just learned something important about her and was currently questioning it. Sakura sighed, glad that her hair was tied back in a short ponytail to keep it off her neck lest she start pulling on it.

"Anyway, if the interrogation is over let's get to work," she said, staring determinedly at the corpse.

"Fine."

* * *

Two hours into the autopsy and Sakura had all but forgotten exactly who she was standing across from. As soon as they dived into the work, Shī turned into the perfect partner—professional, level-headed, and efficient. They were so seamless that he was able to keep up with her train of thought before she could finish fully articulating it. If she ignored the personal animosity between them, Sakura found that he was very easy, if not enjoyable, to work with.

"The DNA analysis will take some time," Sakura explained as she scraped a tissue sample from the cadaver and prepared a petri dish. "I want to stimulate cell division to see how exactly the clones function when not under the influence of outside chakra."

Shī nodded absently but he was busy sweeping the corpse with his chakra. "This kind of transformation is like nothing I've ever seen. Even the best technique executed with flawless control is imperfect. No one can truly become someone else."

Sakura turned away from where she'd left the sample to cultivate and sighed. "Miho couldn't figure it out either. It's obviously not something that even a sensor type can distinguish, or we wouldn't be in this situation."

Shī held a hand in front of his face and rubbed the dark green substance dyeing his fingers. "That's ridiculous. There must be a way for me to detect the difference somehow..."

They'd scoured the specimen with a fine-toothed comb. Shī scanned it with his sensitive chakra, trying to feel the structure while they broke it down with their corrosive medical chakra. They were tired and frustrated with the lack of progress, and so they finally decided to examine the Zetsu clone's DNA in action. Shī wanted to see a living specimen, and Sakura was ready to try any avenue at this point.

"The sample will take some time to grow, so why don't we make some rounds in the meantime?" Sakura offered, already moving to the sink to disinfect again.

Shī's expression hardened as he turned to look at her, and suddenly Sakura was reminded that they didn't actually get along. She frowned, but he said nothing as he took her place at the sink. They exited the lab in silence with Sakura in the lead.

"This is the administration tent where we receive new patients and communicate with headquarters," Sakura said mechanically. "The room we were just in is the lab, obviously."

Sakura got that chilling feeling people get when being watched, and she chanced a look over her shoulder. Shī was watching her back with guarded emptiness. She clenched a fist and turned back around just as they came to the entrance.

"The entire campsite is surrounded by a blockade maintained by Douton users. No one's allowed to go beyond it. That tent over there," she said, gesturing to the left, "is the mess hall. You can go any time of the day or night, but you only get two meals a day. They keep track."

Shī just made a noncommittal grunting sound to confirm that he'd heard her. Sakura's eye twitched.

"And this tent," she said, leading him to a large structure filled with people in various states of life and death, "is the OR. We group them by severity. The worst are in the back."

"I think that's all the tour I'll need," Shī cut in suddenly, gaze focused intently on the OR tent. "I'll see to the wounded now. Call me when the sample's ready for testing."

He made to enter the OR tent without her, and it took Sakura a second to realize that he'd just dismissed her rather abruptly. Without really thinking, she reached out for his shoulder and forced him to face her. In her anger, she'd used a little chakra to make sure he didn't overpower her and slip away. A moment of unbridled shock passed between them, but it quickly turned hostile.

"_What _is your problem?" Sakura hissed.

Shī narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't have a problem. I'm just here to do a job, and right now you're directly preventing me from doing it."

Sakura gaped at him. "Excuse me? You're the one running off without giving me a chance to finish showing you around. If you're going to be here, you need to know these basics."

"There are shinobi dying in there. So let me do my job and you do yours."

_Does he really think...?_

"I'm just as responsible for those patients as you are," Sakura said, grabbing his wrist to pull him to the side in order to divert attention from their heated argument. The last thing sick people needed was more stress. "Or did you not get the memo that I'm one of the head medics here?"

He took a moment to peer down at her, an action that made Sakura feel uncomfortably small. "You may be the Hokage's favorite, but this is a war and people are suffering. You're only as good as your skills out here. Instead of arguing with me, you should think about making yourself useful to the people who need you."

Sakura was speechless. How dare he accuse her of shirking her duties? She was an important player in this division as one of the most skilled medical ninja around, and here he was telling her that she wasn't doing her job properly.

"Excuse me," Shī said, turning away from her and marching into the OR tent.

Sakura blinked, momentarily rooted to her spot.

_What the hell was that?_

Somehow, they had both lost their tempers over nothing at all and now... Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat. Quarreling with another medic at a time like this was the last thing she should be doing. They had to work together to save lives and win this war, so whatever enmity existed between them would have to be stopped before it got any worse. She didn't know what she'd done to merit Shī's dislike, but they would both have to get over it.

Sakura took a steadying breath and dutifully trudged into the tent, ready to work herself to the bone once more.

* * *

**Author's note: **Remember, reviews are so much love!


	3. III

All's Fair in Love and War  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

_**III**_

* * *

Shī concentrated his medical chakra to heal the third degree burns inflicted upon a fellow Kumo ninja. He tried to ignore the oozing blood and pus from the exposed muscles and focus on healing the tissue. The Kumo nin seized under his touch, wracked with extreme pain and fast losing energy from the blood loss.

"Restrain him properly," Shī commanded the Genin assisting him.

The young Genin tried to obey and refrain from further injuring the patient, but the Kumo nin continued to convulse erratically. Shī pressed his lips together in frustration. Judging from the extensive damage, he would have to amputate the patient's right leg.

"Hiroki," he whispered. "Your right leg looks bad. It's practically melting off of you and exposed to infection. I have to remove it."

Hiroki seemed to balk at that suggestion, his brown eyes widening in alarm. "No... No please, Shī, don't do this. You and me go way back; you can't do this."

Shī felt something constrict in his chest. He and Hiroki had been at the Academy together, training every day to become formidable shinobi. They'd bled together. He tried to ignore the feeling of inadequacy as he gave Hiroki's leg another once-over.

_There's no way I can save it._

"I'm sorry," he said, truly meaning it. This was no way for a shinobi to end his career. Hiroki should have died on the battlefield, not been sent to the medical camp to receive such a terrible sentence.

"Damnit Shī, can't you do anything for me?" Hiroki pleaded, dirty tears running down his face.

Shī just stared down at his comrade. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "No medical ninjutsu can repair this damage."

A few moments passed in which the two shinobi ruminated over the situation, both at a loss for how to mitigate it. In reality, there was no way to fix it. Shī had already amputated several limbs in his time here, and none of them were pleasant experiences. At least those had been operations that would still leave the patients with a career. Without a means to walk, Hiroki faced a cruel retirement.

"Then just do it," Hiroki said, his voice guarded. "I'm ready."

Shī took a moment to take in his comrade's appearance. He was pale and clammy with pain, his entire body covered in weeping gashes where skin and muscle were burned away. The two nurses assigned to Shī were working frantically to disinfect and bandage his patient's wounds, but the efforts were in vain. Hiroki would have permanent scarring and warped skin when he finally recovered.

"Hand me the saw," Shī said to the nurse sitting next to him, not bothering to look at her.

The nurse complied instantly and handed him a long saw made from a special metal meant to channel chakra. Shī took a moment to stare at it. By his hand Hiroki would never walk like a normal person again, much less fight on the battlefield. He hesitated.

"Doctor?" the nurse to his left said, putting a hand on his arm.

Troubled, dark eyes studied the grisly tool in his hand, dreading what he had to do. Then, all of a sudden, a hand closed over the other end of the saw.

"Come on. Let's make it quick."

Shī looked up to find Sakura, the Konoha Chuunin medic, suddenly crouched opposite him and fastening a strong grip on the serrated saw. Her green eyes were hard, betraying nothing of what she might be thinking on a personal level. All instinctual thoughts of disliking her—_it's not even her fault_—left him as he felt her guide the two-handled saw to Hiroki's thigh above the infected area. Shī swallowed hard, but Sakura concentrated on the work and didn't spare him a glance.

He was grateful for the lack of eye contact. In that moment he appreciated her assistance more than he was willing to admit. "On my count," he whispered.

"Aw shit," Hiroki wheezed, squeezing his eyes shut.

Shī's heart pounded in his ears. "One, two, three."

Bone-chilling screams filled the tent as Shī and Sakura dragged the saw, glowing with green medical chakra, back and forth across Hiroki's thigh. It cut quickly, bypassing muscle, then bone, then more muscle. There was little blood thanks to their cauterizing medical chakra. With each push of the saw, Hiroki released a scream more painful than the one before. Shī resisted the urge to cringe at the sound. The last sawing motion severed the limb completely, and the nurses were quick to disinfect the wound and begin applying bandages.

Shī released the saw and sat back a bit, his face pale and his mind reeling as the guilt washed over him. This was not his first time performing such a gruesome surgery, but this was someone he knew personally, someone he'd grown up with. Hiroki wasn't a nameless injured shinobi. It reminded Shī just how much he detested this darker side of medical ninjutsu, no matter how inescapable.

A hand on his shoulder drew his attention and he turned bewildered eyes on Sakura.

"He'll live," she said gently. "You did the right thing."

Shī could only stare at her, torn between concentrating on the uncomfortable warmth of her hand on his shoulder and the look of sincere understanding in her eyes. In that moment, despite his enmity toward Konoha for its role in this stupid war and her affiliation, Shī found himself grateful for her presence here. If nothing else, she knew what it was like in this line of work. Medical ninja bore a burden heavier than that of any other shinobi. He didn't want to feel alone right now.

"Yeah, thanks," he rasped.

She offered him a forced smile and squeezed his shoulder a little, but it only lasted a second before she let go. "I have to get back to my own rounds. Let me know if you need anything," she said, backing up.

Shī nodded wordlessly. He felt like he was just waking up from a dream. Sakura turned to go, leaving him with only his nurses and patient. Hiroki had passed out from the pain at some point, much to Shī's relief. Blood soaked through the dressings binding his amputated thigh, and someone had taken the severed appendage away already. He sighed.

_I just ended a good shinobi's entire career._

If he allowed himself to think about the situation rationally, he would have agreed that whatever enemy had fought Hiroki and injured him so badly was actually to blame. If anything, Shī had saved his life, just as Sakura said. But a shinobi without the means to fight might as well be dead to the world. It was with this thought that he poured green healing energy into the tender stump in order to expedite the healing process as much as possible. For a fellow Kumo shinobi, Shī didn't mind expending more energy than necessary to ensure some meager measure of comfort.

"Doctor, we have other patients that need treatment," one of his assigned nurses said not unkindly.

Shī nodded wearily. "Right. Let's get going."

He and the two nurses rose and trudged to the next dying patient only to repeat the process all over again.

* * *

It wasn't until about two in the morning that Shī handed the reins to Akari. She'd been able to rest earlier in the day, so she offered to take over his rounds until morning. Shī was inwardly grateful for the respite, especially since Shizune had already warned him an hour ago that he looked on the verge of dying himself. It would not do to wear himself out to the point where he was of no use to anyone.

As though in a trance, Shī made his way to the mess hall to claim a meal. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd eaten. Not even caring that eggplant wasn't his favorite, he dug in heartily. It wasn't half bad, but he supposed that might be due more to his ravenous hunger than the chef's culinary skill.

"Slow down before you choke."

Shī looked up from his meal only to see Sakura with her own small tray of already consumed food. She dumped it in the disposal and moved to stand before the opposite bench at Shī's table. He chewed and swallowed his bite, briefly taking in her appearance. He didn't have a mirror, but he guessed that he looked just as bad as she did.

"You look like hell," she said, her expression neutral.

"Speak for yourself," he grumbled, stuffing another forkful in his mouth.

Sakura seemed irritated by his comment, but instead of marching off she actually took a seat across from him. He set his fork down and lent her his full attention, or what was left of it in his semi-conscious, exhausted state.

"Why do you hate me?" she blurted out.

Shī resisted the urge to groan inwardly. _This is not the conversation I want to have right now._

"I don't hate you."

"Then how do you explain that fight we had the other day? And your generally bad attitude whenever Shizune or I are in the room? Do you have something against Konoha?"

Green eyes bore into him, accusing and suspicious, like she had no idea why on earth he might resent Konoha shinobi. It pissed him off a little.

"Because it's so surprising that someone doesn't bend over backwards for Konoha shinobi."

At that, Sakura's eyes flashed with fury and he was sure she would snap at him. She refrained. "I don't want to fight with you. I just want to know what I did to make you dislike me. I think that's a reasonable request."

Shī peered at her, battling to keep his eyes open. She looked about ready to pass out too, and he wondered belatedly if this confrontation was only happening due to their lowered inhibitions brought on by extreme exhaustion.

"It's Konoha's fault that we're even in this war."

Sakura's face contorted in a way that suggested confusion followed by anger. "That's ridiculous. How can you think such a thing?"

"Because the ones we're fighting are all former Konoha shinobi," he shot back. "That masked man claimed to be Uchiha Madara, and the guy behind the Edo Tensei was originally a Konoha medic nin."

"Just because they were originally from Konoha—"

"And look at the Akatsuki," Shī interrupted, his anger escalating. "That guy in the mask was behind it all. Cloud didn't have any shinobi that joined Akatsuki at all. None of this would be happening if not for Konoha."

Sakura glared at him, her eyes alight with emerald fire despite her obvious lassitude. "That's not fair."

"Isn't it?" Shī challenged. "As far as I'm concerned, Konoha's out of control. All of its problems are spilling into the greater continent, and now we have an international war on our hands just to clean up your mess."

Sakura's hand clenched the edge of the table and it began to crack under the pressure of her grip. Had he not been so worked up, Shī may have stopped to appreciate the seemingly inhuman strength she was so effortlessly displaying.

"That's not fair," she repeated. "Akatsuki and Tobi, even Kabuto... They're all rogue players. Akatsuki had members from all the other villages."

Shī was having none of it. "The entire enemy force is run by Konoha rogues. Just look at Uchiha Sasuke. He defected and went after B like he was some kind of wild animal—"

"Stop it!" she yelled, effectively breaking off the section of table she'd been squeezing.

Shī blinked, taken aback by her outburst and subsequent abuse of furniture.

"Just stop it," she said, a little less incensed and more despairing as she squeezed her eyes shut. "You don't know anything about Sasuke."

Shī narrowed his eyes at her. "I know that he attacked Lord Raikage and cut off his arm. I know that he attempted to murder the other Kage at the summit and succeeded in getting the Hokage after the fact."

Sakura gritted her teeth, the tears now visible in the corners of her eyes. "Please, stop," she pleaded.

At her sudden deflation Shī hesitated. Still, he couldn't abide her defending the man. "Why should I? He's an international criminal and a murderer."

"Because he's my teammate, okay?" Sakura said, meeting his eyes finally.

_That _was unexpected. He'd known that Uzumaki Naruto was on a team with the last Uchiha, but he'd never stopped to wonder about who might be their third teammate, and here he was vilifying him right in front of her. Suddenly it made sense. She defended Sasuke, clammed up when Shī mentioned his crimes, and was so obviously upset by the mere mention of him. He regretted that she was in such a position to begin with.

It didn't change anything though.

"That doesn't make a difference," he said quietly. "You know as well as I do that Uchiha Sasuke has done unspeakable things."

"Of course I know that!"

Tears fell down her face freely now. Shī's anger was still palpable, but it had abated somewhat at the sight of her genuine distress. He hadn't meant to make her cry...

"We tried to kill each other," she said finally, raising gleaming green eyes to meet his. "Just before he ordered me to murder his tracker."

Talk about fucked up. Shī's expression soured.

"I know... I know better than anyone that he's a criminal," Sakura continued. "I know that he has to answer for his crimes, even if..." she trailed off, sniffling. "Even if that means the worst punishment."

_Execution._

She didn't have to say it aloud for the meaning to get across. Shī watched her with muted interest, taking in her tears and her internal struggle with something that was clearly so hard for her to reconcile. A part of him felt badly for her in spite of his earlier position.

"But it's just as you said; it doesn't make a difference." Hard eyes bore into his as unwavering determination replaced hopeless despair. Leftover tears made her eyes glisten in the overhead fluorescent lighting. "Regardless of our affiliations, we're in this war together. Maybe it's convenient for you to blame Konoha, but you're wrong to think that it's Konoha's fault that things have come to this. The enemy's a group of madmen, criminals with no affiliation to any Hidden Village. And the rest of us are all in this together to stop them."

Shī was reminded of what Nara Shikaku had said to him in passing just before he came here. It wasn't just the Konoha shinobi. Ao had also told him that they needed to work hard for the alliance, that they were united against a common enemy. Still, the Hidden Villages had so much bad blood between them that even this great alliance could not truly unite everyone. Things had nearly fallen apart before they even began, and if not for the Kazekage's moving speech they might be in a very different place now. Shī knew it made sense to work together, but that didn't mean they all had to be best friends all of a sudden, as though past transgressions didn't matter at all. As though they were forgiven.

"You're oversimplifying things. You know as well as I do that this alliance is fragile at best. Old grudges and past wrongs won't be forgotten despite this common threat, nor should they be."

She shook her head. "That's exactly the kind of thinking that'll make us lose this war. I may have a teammate that's out to destroy the world, but I have another teammate who's going to save it. And I'm going to help him do it one patient at a time. What're you going to do?"

A pregnant silence befell the pair as Sakura's challenge hung around them, asphyxiating. Shī watched her, his food growing colder with each passing second of their standoff. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, someone beat him to it.

"Uh, am I like interrupting or something?" Akari said, tiptoeing into the mess hall as though any sharp sounds might set off the ticking time bomb that was the atmosphere between Shī and Sakura.

The spell was broken and they turned to the newcomer.

"Not at all," Sakura said, offering the woman a tight smile.

Akari looked between them once, twice, and a third time. "Oh... _Oh. _Well, I was just gonna grab a power bar, but I didn't mean to intrude," she said, adopting a sly smile as she met Shī's eyes.

Shī frowned, registering Akari's innuendo. "Whatever you're thinking, you've got it all wrong."

Akari moved toward the counter and plucked a power bar from a jar. "Uh-huh."

Sakura turned suddenly. "Hey, I'll walk you out. I was just leaving anyway."

"You sure about that?" Akari said, her dark blue eyes darting to Shī once more.

"Positive," Sakura deadpanned. "I'm finished here."

Akari walked back to the pair and patted Shī on the shoulder. "Get some rest, kiddo. I gotcha covered tonight."

Shī grunted in acknowledgement, but his dark eyes were trained on Sakura as she showed him her back and walked out of the mess hall. He was left alone with his cold eggplant dinner. Resting his aching head in his hands, Shī resolved himself not to reverse analyze his verbal spat with the Konoha medic until he was feeling more lucid, for her sake as much as his own.

* * *

**Author's note: **Before anyone freaks out and accuses me of possibly executing Sasuke down the line, just take a deep breath and remember that this is only chapter 3, and that's the absolute worst-case scenario. Doesn't mean I'm going there, doesn't mean I'm not. I promise I'm _not _going to use it as an excuse for ShīSaku to happen or not happen here. That will be independent of Sasuke's fate either way, as any pairing should be. Sorry, end rant.

Thanks for all the support and encouragement after the last chapter guys! Your reviews make my day and encourage me to post free emoji for your enjoyment. d(≧▽≦*) ｹﾞﾝｷ!


	4. IV

All's Fair in Love and War  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

_**IV**_

* * *

"Somebody please help us!"

Sakura and Shizune looked up from their hushed conversation to the tent flap, where Tobiko and his two underlings were already rushing outside. After sharing a significant look, the two women followed the robust Akimichi guard outside, already steeling themselves to whatever gruesome sight might be awaiting them.

What they found made their hearts wrench.

"Please, he can still make it if he gets medical attention right now!" implored a pale woman who looked like she'd seen better days.

She supported an unconscious young man on her shoulder. Sakura's mind immediately switched gears as she assessed the superficial damage to the shinobi's battered body. He looked like he'd been chewed up and spit out.

"Stop!" Tobiko boomed, placing his large body between the limping shinobi and the entrance to the tent. "Don't come any closer!"

"But he'll die if he doesn't get treatment!" the woman begged, desperation evident in her voice.

"How can you prove you're not the enemy?" Tobiko challenged.

"What happened?" Shizune said, her tone laced with worry as she surveyed the unconscious man. She remained rooted to her spot safely behind Tobiko, however.

The unknown woman turned to Sakura and Shizune, only now noticing that there were two medics listening in. Her eyes widened. "Please help him, I'm begging you! Don't let my husband die in my arms."

Sakura clenched a fist. Ever since Zetsu had successfully infiltrated the camp disguised as Neji and assassinated five Jounin medical ninja, the camp had been on red alert. No one was allowed inside without proper screening from a sensor and either an official escort or knowledge of the most up-to-date password, which changed every three hours now. But regular field soldiers probably wouldn't always know the password, much less remember a new one every three hours. They were more concerned with surviving the fight of their lives.

It was at that moment that Hina and Shī joined them, drawn by the injured kunoichi's pleadings.

"What's going on?" Shī whispered.

"That man needs treatment," Shizune explained when Sakura didn't. She let her response trail off uncertainly.

Hina covered her mouth, saddened by the sight. Shī turned hard dark eyes on the pair. Silently, he brought his hands together in a seal that Sakura recognized to be the trigger for a sensory scan. After a moment he released the jutsu, an unreadable look in his eyes. "They could be Zetsu clones in disguise."

"But we can't turn away a dying ally," Shizune said.

No one responded to that one. No one knew how.

"If you can't trust me, then I'll kill myself now to prove my allegiance! Just please save him!"

Hina gasped. Sakura was just as shocked as her older colleague. To make such a bold statement... Surely this person could not be the enemy. Green eyes glanced at the unconscious shinobi leaning on his wife. He looked like he wouldn't last much longer like that. Sakura let out a distressed sigh, which drew Shī's attention. He shot her a reproachful look.

"Sakura—"

"Come inside," Sakura said, cutting him off and gesturing to the injured pair.

To emphasize her point, she pulled back the tent flap in invitation. The woman seemed to melt with relief.

"Oh, thank you!"

"No, wait! They could be the enemy..." Tobiko protested.

A firm hand grabbed Sakura's wrist and yanked it away from the tent flap. Startled, she turned to find Shī glaring at her.

"I can't analyze their chakra for identification. We can't be sure if they're on our side."

"So we just let them die?" Sakura hissed. "I can't just stand here and do nothing. Can you?"

He looked torn, like he wanted to believe that these people were just injured allies, but he couldn't dismiss the very real possibility that they were just the opposite. They stared each other down for a moment, neither sure what to say to rectify the situation. In the end, they didn't have to.

A grunt of shock from Tobiko was the only warning as Sakura and Shī whipped around to see the two supposedly dying shinobi suddenly rushing them, their injuries forgotten. Green eyes widened as understanding dawned, followed by fear. Somewhere to Sakura's left, Shizune screamed out a warning as the two prepared to attack.

_Crunch!_

It happened so quickly that Sakura wasn't sure she'd seen correctly. One minute the imposters were lunging toward her, kunai at the ready, and the next they were face-down in the ground, two glowing Rasengan pushing their bodies into an early grave.

"You okay, Sakura?"

Sakura blinked, dazzled by the bright light he was emitting.

"Naruto!" Shizune exclaimed.

The glowing blond looked up from the thorough bludgeoning he'd dealt to the now reverted Zetsu clones and grinned. Sakura's mouth dropped a veritable foot at the sight of him. It had been ages since she'd last seen him, but the old saying that time changes people seemed like the understatement of the century. He was literally swathed in golden light with strange swirl markings across his collarbone and navel. What kind of power was this?

"Naruto..."

His smile widened and cerulean met jade. "Didya miss me?"

For reasons unknown, Sakura felt the overwhelming urge to cry. Uncaring of who saw, she ran at Naruto and flung her arms around his neck. "Idiot. You're supposed to be hiding."

She felt him relax a little under her embrace and readily returned it, holding her close. "And miss out on all the action? Nah."

Sakura had to laugh a little through tears that threatened to fall. She couldn't remember being so happy to see her blond teammate since he showed up to take on the leader of Akatsuki. It seemed he had a knack for turning up just when he was most needed.

"Naruto," Shizune said again, drawing up to the embracing pair.

Sakura took that as her cue to release Naruto and take a step back. Shizune smiled at him, obviously relieved to see him safe and sound. He flashed her a cheesy grin.

"Heya, Shizune. Just thought I'd drop in and see how things are going. I heard there's some asshole running around pretending to be our friends."

Shizune's expression turned grim. "Yes, that's right. Zetsu of Akatsuki is able to replicate other people's chakra signatures perfectly. Not even our best sensors can detect the difference."

"Uzumaki Naruto? The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki?" Hina said from behind them.

Everyone turned to look at her. Naruto puffed out his chest in a show of faux bravado. "In the flesh."

Hina looked a bit stunned. Sakura didn't blame her; she was still trying to get used to Naruto's new look too. She couldn't imagine what seeing him for the first time looking like this must be like.

"How were you able to sense them?" Shī demanded.

His posture was tense as he studied Naruto like a chemist would a puzzling lab report. She wondered if he was scanning him with his sensitive chakra. Then his words registered in her head and Sakura found herself wondering the same thing.

"Yeah, you sensed them," she said. "How is that possible?"

Naruto adopted a more serious expression as he looked between the medics and a pissed off Tobiko, clearly not pleased that he hadn't been able to preempt the attack on Sakura.

"It's hard to explain. I just knew they wanted Sakura dead. They didn't feel like everyone else here."

_Well that makes no sense at all..._

"I'm a sensor type, and even I can't tell the difference. How can you?" Shī pressed.

Naruto scratched the back of his head, trying to find an answer that might appease the Cloud nin. "I guess...it's like they're incomplete or something. Man, I just got this new ability to sense chakra and emotions, and I'm not sure how it all works. It kinda just does. I'm just glad I got here in time."

Tobiko grunted his approval and barked at his underlings to get back into position in case more imposters showed up. Shī just continued to scrutinize Naruto, as though he might be able to divine a more concrete answer this way. Sakura didn't blame him; she was dying to find a way to discern the enemy too.

"Sorry, but I can't stay. I already scanned the area and it looks like you're in the clear. No more baddies around here," Naruto said.

"You're leaving already?" Shizune said.

"Looks like there's trouble with the First Division. I'm just a clone. I'll report what happened here."

Sakura smiled a little sadly. She didn't know how he'd done it, but Naruto was now stronger than he'd ever been. If anyone could turn the tide of this war, it was definitely him. She reached for his hand. "Be safe. I better not see you here again unless it's to take out more clones, got it?"

They shared a meaningful look, a thousand and one words passing between them in an instant. Naruto was a good guy, and she hoped that whatever hurt or misunderstanding lingered between them after her strategic confession was gone. Looking at him now, he was still the same Naruto she'd grown to love like a brother.

"You got it," he whispered, squeezing her hand.

That gesture brought more relief and reassurance to Sakura than she could say.

"Well, see ya!" Naruto said, waving to everyone.

He poofed into smoke after that, leaving no trace of his ever having been there except for two dead Zetsu clones with dirt halfway down their throats. Sakura ran a hand through her bangs, a little shaken from the encounter. Seeing Naruto again like that was a gift, but having him save her from rampaging Zetsu clones posing as injured allies was not how she'd envisioned their reunion. More importantly, if Naruto was joining the war effort then what the hell was going on out there now?

"Sakura, we should get back to our rounds," Shizune said. "That goes for everyone."

Sakura nodded, but her attention was drawn by the two Zetsu clones half buried in the earth.

_I almost let them into the camp. Anyone they killed would be on my conscience._

She was angry with herself, as irrational as it was. No one could have sensed the difference, but she decided to let her compassion get the better of her. There was no way to properly reconcile the situation. It made her furious to feel so defenseless like this.

"Sakura."

Shī's voice snapped her out of her self-loathing inner torment. She'd forgotten he was still there after the others disappeared inside the tent. He was also staring at the two dead clones.

"Yeah?"

"I want to finish the autopsy."

Sakura studied him, trying to get a read on him. He seemed...upset. "Shī, what's wrong?"

He blinked, dark eyes locking with hers. "If the Jinchuuriki can do it, then there must be a way to distinguish the clones."

"That Jinchuuriki has a name, you know," she countered.

Sakura sensed a spat brewing. They hadn't spoken much since the night they'd clashed in the mess hall. She had nothing to say to him and clearly the feeling was mutual, so they stuck to a strictly professional interaction. More than once Sakura had told herself that this was silly and she should just say something to him. He'd obviously been pretty messed up about having to amputate his friend's leg, and that probably led him to say things he didn't mean. Then again, he wouldn't have said them if he didn't believe them to be true. And why should she be the one to cave? If anything he should be asking her forgiveness for trashing Konoha and taking his grievances out on her.

He pursed his lips together before saying, "Right. Naruto."

Sakura was mildly surprised by his easy amendment. She expected him to say blue whenever she said red, but it seemed he was disinclined to fight her on this. Unsure whether to be suspicious or optimistic, she settled for ignoring it completely.

"Anyway, you're right. We should get back to the autopsy. The sooner we can figure this out, the better."

Decided, they made their way to the lab without another word.

* * *

It turned out that they were more urgently needed in the emergency room than in the lab to complete the autopsy. Shī was not happy about this in the least, but Shizune was in charge and he was obligated to adhere to her authority. Sakura shot him an apologetic look when their examination was cut short, which he didn't know how to interpret. They parted ways before he could find the words to question her though, so he was forced to dismiss it.

Surgery was hard. Shī had always been rather gifted with medical ninjutsu. He'd been promoted to Jounin at the green age of fifteen, the most promising student of his class. But Cloud shinobi were trained for the battlefield, not the laboratory. In a way, he felt like he was learning formal medical ninjutsu procedures all over again like this, which was frustrating. But he wouldn't give up.

"On my count," Shizune said. "Use your chakra to keep the blood pumping while I shock the heart. Ready?"

Shī nodded numbly.

"One, two, three."

Excellent chakra control could only get him far enough to block out the paranoid pounding in his head as he counted in time to the beat of his own heart, willing lightning-infused chakra to set a rhythmic pace for the patient's failing heart while Shizune worked. It was one thing to stop the overflow of blood out of a severed artery on the battlefield; it was another thing entirely to circulate about five liters of blood through the human body at a steady pace. Sweat beaded on Shī's forehead as he willed his energy to move evenly and forcefully.

"Clear!" Shizune hissed, pumping a jolt of chakra into the heart.

Shī felt the shock but ignored the quick burst of burning pain up his arms as he worked to regulate the patient's circulation. A sweat droplet fell onto his white knuckles and fizzled into vapor, evaporated by the buzzing electrical energy he was emitting. Vaguely, he tasted blood on his tongue.

It required unfathomable control to revive damaged internal organs. On the field Shī was used to patching up even the nastiest injuries, but there was never time for things like open heart surgery and delicate organ transplants. Here there was more time, but there was also compounded pressure. He wasn't sure which was worse. Instead of dwelling on it, he concentrated the flow of his medical chakra and acted as an artificial pacemaker while Shizune fixed the real thing. There was no room for self-doubt in the OR.

"Again!"

It took them four tries to get the heart pumping again, and weakly at that. Shizune immediately tore into the patient's chest with a chakra scalpel, searching for the shrapnel they'd detected earlier as the cause of the problem. Shī shifted his chakra output to control the bleeding from the incision as Shizune worked to remove the foreign objects without doing further damage to the heart. The entire operation ended up taking the better part of an hour, and the patient, a middle-aged Iwa nin, nearly died twice.

"That was good work," Shizune said tiredly after they were done. "He'll live."

"Yeah," Shī said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Doctor," one of the nurses addressed Shizune. "We have a ruptured intestine in bed thirty-seven."

Shizune sighed wearily. "Right, let's get to it. Shī," she nodded, pulling herself up.

"Right, I'll just—"

"Doctor!" a young Genin helper shouted. "She hit her head real bad! There's a lot of blood!"

Shī turned to the source of the cry, cringing at the sight of a young kunoichi with her head bashed in and bleeding a waterfall all over her bedding. He didn't even bother bidding Shizune goodbye as he shifted his focus entirely to the new patient.

As he staunched the bleeding and sewed the kunoichi's head back together, Shī tried not to think about the fact that Sakura and Shizune were Konoha. It was easier to think of this as just another job, and of them simply as talented colleagues. But every time he walked by Hiroki's sick bed, he was reminded that this was a war. There were no favorites or mercy, and everyone had to look out for number one. Make a mistake here and that was the end of the line. He couldn't help it. No matter how he looked at it, he could not completely forget his resentment of Konoha for its part in starting this war.

"Hey stranger."

Hours later, Shī looked up from his tea to see Akari standing over him. He was taking a short break to clear his mind before getting ready for the next surgery, but it seemed that he'd get no peace here.

"What's up? You look like somebody died."

At the dark look from the blond Cloud nin, Akari cringed. "Sorry, that came out shitty."

The mess hall boasted a handful of patrons at this hour of the afternoon, mostly medical staff hoping to grab a quick bite to eat between emergencies. There was never a quiet moment in this place.

"Have you ever been in a war before?" he found himself asking.

Akari took a seat across from him at his empty table, taking in his haggard appearance. "Yeah, the last one that happened. Fucking blows, right?"

"Understatement," Shī grumbled, cupping his steaming mug.

She smirked at him, her dark blue eyes lighting up under the fluorescent overhead lamp. "Least you got someone to take the sting off, Casanova."

The color drained from Shī's already ashen face as he glowered at the Falls nin. "What are you insinuating."

Her smirk widened. "I saw you getting cozy with Pinky the other day. She's cute."

Shī didn't know Akari very well, but they'd made the journey to the medical camps together from headquarters, and she'd talked his ear off the whole time. She was nice enough, definitely too chatty for his tastes, but she meant well. He suspected she was the type to use humor to make light of otherwise deplorable situations. He could appreciate it under the right circumstances, but right now was not one of them.

"If you're referring to Haruno Sakura, then you've got the wrong idea."

"Mm, I don't think so."

"I'm serious. It's not what you think."

She didn't look convinced in the least. "But you think she's cute, right? I mean, if you ignore the insomnia and chakra drain that kinda comes with this job."

Shī opened his mouth to protest but caught himself. Truthfully, he hadn't really given the topic much thought. He supposed Sakura could be considered attractive, but it was the last thing on his mind in this prison they called a hospital. Everyone looked like zombies from overwork.

_What the hell am I thinking?_

"I don't see how that's relevant."

Akari's expression suddenly turned severe. It was eerie, but Shī immediately thought of Uzumaki Naruto in that moment and the way he'd gone from cheerful and goofy to dead serious. It was unnerving.

"Listen, kiddo. You've never been in a war, and you're lucky. But this is where the shit hits the fan and believe me, everyone starts to stink. You see people dying in there, and they're gonna keep kickin' it in ways you can't even imagine. You gotta make the best of your situation while you can."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She leaned forward, as though they were co-conspirators with some underhanded purpose. "It means take advantage of what you got. War's got a way of taking what we love the most. It's stingy like that. Take it from me. You don't wanna lose what you don't even have yet."

Shī stared at the older kunoichi, puzzled by her words. He had a sense that she was somehow cheering on some make-believe relationship between Sakura and himself, but as far as he was concerned that was the furthest thing from his mind. And not just because he didn't much like Sakura, but because this was war and he had a duty to do. Anything else would have to wait until after.

_If I even make it out of here alive._

"Just think about it, 'kay? A serious guy like you could use some smiles in his life," Akari said, standing.

Shī glared at her. "What's _that _supposed to mean?"

She waved him off. "Don't get your panties in a twist. See you back in there."

Shī had a mind to call after her, but he refrained. There were other patrons in the dining hall and he didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to himself. The chamomile tea he'd been nursing was tepid by now. Scowling, he got up and dumped it in the trash. The last thing he wanted to do right now was actually think about what the Falls nin had said to him. Suddenly, his upcoming lung transplant operation was looking very appealing.

* * *

**Author's note: **Oh my god you guys, everyone go check out this AMAZING fanart by Secretie right this second. She is super indcredibly talented. Check out the link on my profile under the "Fanart" section. :D

Anyway, thanks to all the wonderful people who left logged out reviews: anonymous, dude (YOU'RE WELCOME), and Shayz. Everyone who reviewed, thank you so much! The ShīSaku ship has set sail guys. I AM SO PSYCHED.


	5. V

All's Fair in Love and War

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

_**V**_

* * *

"Restrain him properly!" Sakura barked at a pair of young Genin.

The two boys scrambled to do her bidding, shoving their collective weight onto the patient's legs and torso. Sakura prepared a shot of anesthesia to knock him out while she performed what was looking like it would be a very unpleasant surgery. The guy's left hand and lower arm looked like they'd passed through a meat grinder and somehow lived to tell the story. Barely.

"W-What is that?" he breathed.

Sakura met his eyes and softened her expression. He looked scared, and rightly so. He probably thought he would lose his arm.

"This will put you to sleep. I have to operate and believe me, you don't want to be awake for it."

He blinked, sweat glistening on his dirty forehead where his hitai-ate had been removed previously. Even though they all bore the kanji for 'shinobi', Sakura recognized this man to be one of Iwa's soldiers from his burgundy uniform. She stole another glance at his mangled hand, already thinking about the delicate procedure to reseal bones and restore shredded musculature. This would take a while, but when she succeeded he'd have his dominant hand back.

"What's your name?" she asked, an attempt to distract him as she administered the sedative.

Feverish brown eyes trained on her like a deer caught in the headlights. "Ryoma," he said. "I'm a kenjutsu s-specialist..."

Sakura offered him a warm smile. "Well Ryoma, today's your lucky day because I think I can fix your sword hand for you."

Despite the encroaching effects of the sedative, he managed a look of utter shock at her words. "R-Really? You can save my hand?"

"I'm going to do my very best. Your chances look pretty good from where I'm standing."

He looked like he might cry. As the anesthesia began to pull him under and his eyelids began to droop, he said, "Your name, please."

"Haruno Sakura," she said as he drifted away.

"H-Haruno...Sakura," Ryoma repeated, barely above a whisper as sleep finally took him.

Sakura studied the man momentarily. He looked young, maybe in his twenties, but fighting and his gruesome injury gave him a haggard look. Sallow skin stretched taut over his cheekbones, and he had dark circles under his eyes. This war took a toll on all its participants, and not just in the form of bodily injury. War was like a miserly old king—it bled the people dry and never gave anything back except an early grave.

"Gen, Tatsuya," Sakura addressed her Genin helpers. "Thanks for your help. He's sedated now, so I can handle it from here. Go help Kentarou with his patients for now."

They obeyed without question. Sakura watched them go, torn between her gratitude for their help and good behavior and the cruel fact that they were only eleven years old. It seemed that war didn't discriminate between the young and the old. Shaking her head to rid herself of any more macabre thoughts, she returned her attention to her patient's hand and set to work.

* * *

The entire procedure took about an hour and a solid chunk of Sakura's chakra, but Ryoma would have his hand back to normal after some much needed rest. It would be horribly scarred, and the appendage would probably give him pain for the rest of his life, but it would be fully functional. Idly, Sakura wondered if she'd actually done the man a service all things considered. Because he'd make a full recovery, he'd be expected to return to the front lines and risk his life again. It had never been something she questioned in the past, but right now Sakura wondered if she'd just preemptively signed his death warrant.

Troubled by her train of thought, Sakura shook her head to clear it. Never before had she taken such a depressing outlook on her profession, and it disturbed her on a visceral level that this war was forcing her to reexamine her role in the movement. As a medic, was she a really the beneficent savior? Or was she the right hand of death?

_Don't be ridiculous, Sakura. He'll be overjoyed to have his hand back to normal._

She didn't have time to linger and indulge the niggling doubt at the thought because the next patient was waiting for treatment. There was no end to the carnage. Deciding to ask Shizune for permission to return to the autopsy later since she and Shī had been called away before they could make anymore headway the last time, Sakura set off to find her. It didn't take long.

"Shizune? I was wondering if I could maybe work on the autopsy later—"

Sakura cut herself off when she got a look at the older medical ninja's face. Her normally bright brown eyes were red-rimmed and glassy, her skin more ashen than usual. The telltale signs of crying were easily discernable, and Sakura immediately moved to Shizune's side and took her hand.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Shizune looked like she would burst into tears again, but she refrained. There were other people in the room, and she was looked to as a leader here. She shook her head. "Even after all this time, I still have some trouble getting used to the way things are."

Alarm bells went off in Sakura's head. Shizune rarely let her professional persona slip, so it must have been something awful. "Please tell me what happened. Maybe I can help."

"It's too late for that."

Sakura had an inkling of where this was going, and she didn't like it one bit. "It might help to talk about it."

A shaky sigh was Sakura's only answer for a few moments as Shizune attempted to collect herself. "I had to put down two shinobi today. They... Their injuries were too much to handle. They were dying before they even got here."

A cloud of despair seemed to settle over Sakura as the words pelted her like sharp hail. "Oh Shizune, I'm so sorry."

And truly, she was. This was the worst part about being a medic, to deal death instead of life.

"One was a M-Mist nin, a young girl about your age. Head trauma."

Sakura winced and clasped Shizune's hand more tightly. "And...the other?"

A shadow passed over Shizune's face as a new wave of self-loathing rushed her. "S-Shiranui Genma..."

All the air left Sakura's lungs as she felt the name of their comrade hit her with the force of a storm gale. She didn't know Genma very well, but Shizune did. They'd been close friends at the Academy years ago before Shizune left the village to apprentice with Tsunade. The brunette medic never let on directly, but Sakura knew that recently they were intimately involved. There were no words. What could Sakura possibly say to make it right? She did the only thing that seemed appropriate—she pulled the older woman into a fierce embrace.

Shizune coughed, and the floodgates opened anew. Sakura felt two fists clench the back of her flak vest as Shizune's tears soaked her shoulder. Neither said a word as Sakura let Shizune have this much-needed break down. Tears prickled at the corners of Sakura's eyes as she imagined how unbearable this was. To have to put down someone so close to her was unthinkable.

"You should've told me. You shouldn't have done it yourself," she whispered. No one should ever have to be in that kind of situation, war or no.

Shizune choked, clearly trying to reign in her emotions as she pulled back. Her cheeks were wet with fresh tears and her eyes were bloodshot. "No. No, it had to be m-me. It had to."

"Please take a break," Sakura implored her. "You need to rest. I'll take over your rounds."

Shizune shook her head. "This war won't wait for anyone." Wiping her cheeks with her too-long sleeves, Shizune attempted to pull herself back together. No amount of wiping would erase the obvious side-effects of crying, however. "I have to get back to work. I'd like to actually save some lives today."

"Shizune..."

The older kunoichi braved a tired smile, and Sakura's heart wrenched. Without a doubt, medical ninja were some of the strongest shinobi in the business. They had to be when they held the lives of friends in their hands, whereas everyone else only worried about the enemy. Sakura wished she had Shizune's strength. If something like this happened to her, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to put it aside and concentrate on the task at hand. Shizune was not okay, but by some miraculous inner fortitude she would do her job and worry about this later. Sakura respected and admired her immensely.

Shizune walked resolutely back to the sick beds to see to more wounded. Sakura watched her go, stricken.

"What happened to Shizune?"

Sakura didn't have to turn to know that it was Shī who'd drawn up beside her. She didn't have the energy to get into an argument with him right now. "She just had to put down someone she loves."

Shī immediately stiffened. "I...I'm sorry," he said, his voice thick with regret.

Sakura glanced at him askance, taking in the set of jaw and the crease between his brows. He looked pale and sleep-deprived, as they probably all did, but for some reason she found herself really looking at him. Despite the compounded effects of chakra depletion and stress, she couldn't help but think he was easy on the eyes, almost surprisingly so. As soon as the thought crossed her mind she felt guilty thinking it. This was no time to be dwelling on such frivolous fancies when Shizune was suffering; when people were _dying _all around them.

Shī caught her looking at him and met her gaze. Once again, Sakura got the eerie impression that she was looking into Sasuke's eyes, but they held none of the hatred her wayward teammate's did. It was almost like looking at a ghost come back to haunt her.

She looked away.

"Me too," she finally said.

They returned to their respective posts without another word.

* * *

"Can you sense anything?"

Shī frowned as he examined the sample of Zetsu cells they'd grown independent of Neji's pilfered chakra. "They're not warped by foreign chakra, so I can get a reading on what it was before the transformation."

Sakura expected him to elaborate more, but he just continued to scrutinize the sample. She was starting to become irritated. "And?"

It was Shī's turn to become irritated, if the look he shot her was any indication. "And it doesn't make a difference if Zetsu can cover it up completely with foreign chakra."

Sakura scowled. "Aren't you supposed to be one of the best sensors on the continent or something?"

Shī did not appreciate her sarcasm, and he set down the sample to give her his undivided, annoyed attention. "You're not helping."

Sakura shrugged off her lab coat and hung it on a nearby hook, ready to get out of this place. "Maybe this is impossible," she grumbled.

"If the Kyuubi Jinchuu—_Naruto _can do it," he appended when she shot him a dirty look, "then so can we. Every technique has a disadvantage somewhere. We just have to look harder."

Sakura rubbed her eyes. Things were still tense between them. They hadn't had any time to talk about their verbal spat the other night with all the work to be done tending to the wounded. Sakura didn't think he was completely justified, but she'd thought about what he'd said, and she had to admit that he made a good a point.

It was true that Konoha lay at the crux of this war. The masked man claiming to be Uchiha Madara, whether or not he was the real deal, was definitely an Uchiha with a personal grudge against Konoha. Kabuto was also formerly from Konoha, and she couldn't argue the fact that Sasuke had made too many bad decisions to be considered an ally at this point. It was an ugly truth, but a truth nonetheless. Sakura had had a good amount of time to stop and think about Sasuke's actions recently compared with the memory of the boy she used to know, and it was glaringly obvious that they were not the same person anymore. Hearing it aloud from Shī, someone who knew only the aberration and never the boy she'd considered a dear friend, made that truth no less unbearable.

"You're right," she said. "There must be a way. We'll definitely figure this out."

Shī looked like he hadn't expected her to relent so easily. "Yeah."

She offered him a small smile and made her way to the door, her mind already shifting gears to the hot cup of coffee she so desperately needed right now. "I'm grabbing coffee. Want one?"

The look in his eyes morphed from suspicious to downright incredulous. It was gone as soon as it came though. "...Sure."

Sakura nodded and disappeared through the tent flap, stifling a yawn as she exited. All this work was really starting to get to her. If only they had more medics on hand, then maybe they could all stop wandering the makeshift hallways like the walking dead.

_Bad analogy_, she reprimanded herself.

Kentarou crossed her path and greeted her, and Sakura stopped to chat briefly. Apparently, they were out of IV bags and had to send word to headquarters for a resupply. He looked a bit frazzled, but his smile was ever-present despite the situation.

"That's not good. Don't we have any spares in the storage tent?" Sakura asked, worried.

"Yes, but I wanted to place the order before those run out too," Kentarou explained. "I tell you, it's a wonder we haven't run our supplies dry yet. No one has time to stop and take inventory!"

Sakura smiled, his jovial manner contagious. "I'll speak to Shizune. We should have a couple nurses in charge of inventory. You shouldn't have to deal with this."

He waved her off. "It's no trouble at all."

They parted ways and Sakura finally made it to the dining hall. She made quick work of procuring two styrofoam cups and filling them with hot, black liquid. She usually took her coffee with cream and sugar, but ever since coming to the medical camp she'd started drinking it black. It was faster and she could get the maximum caffeine dosage. Belatedly, she wondered how Shī liked his coffee and decided she probably should have asked.

_Oh well. _

He'd have to deal with black coffee. Making her way back to the lab on autopilot, Sakura failed to notice that someone was blocking her path until she nearly ran into him. Startled and nearly tripping as she jerked to an abrupt halt, she had to stifle a gasp when she nearly spilled coffee on them both. Bleary, green eyes attempted to focus on the human wall before her. He looked vaguely familiar...

"Sakura," he said, smiling.

Sakura allowed herself a moment to take in his appearance. He was clearly a patient judging from his patched up state. Bedecked in burgundy and boasting deep, brown eyes, she perked up at the spark of recognition.

"Ryoma! It's good to see you up and about," she said, genuinely pleased. Automatically, her eyes drifted to his heavily wrapped left hand resting in a sling. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you."

Sakura felt a wave of accomplishment wash over her. He was going to be alright because of her. She'd saved his hand, and with it his career as a shinobi. They both knew this. Earlier doubts about sending him back into the field potentially to his death seemed like the distant worries of a pessimist, something Sakura most definitely was not. In spite of the darkness medical ninjutsu was mired in, it was moments like this that made Sakura feel like it was worth the constant struggle and associated risks.

"I'm glad I could help, but you should be resting right now. Doctor's orders."

"Of course," he said.

When he still didn't move, Sakura blinked up at him expectantly. "Is there something else you need?"

"Oh, well you see..."

"Yes?"

"The thing is, ever since you healed me I haven't been able to stop thinking...about you," he said, averting his gaze.

Sakura frowned, puzzled. What was he talking about?

"And soon I'll be back on the front lines again, so I don't know if I'll live through this war."

"Ryoma," Sakura said, unsure of what to say to cheer him up.

He shook his head and took a steadying breath. Then, with his good hand, he reached into his sling and produced a folded slip of paper. Upon closer inspection, Sakura made out her name scrawled across the front in messy script.

"So, you see... I wanted to give you this letter. It, well... It's something like a love letter," he said, laughing a little to brighten the atmosphere and dispel some of the awkward discomfort he clearly felt at having just confessed to a girl he barely knew.

Sakura's jaw dropped in astonishment. Her eyes were glued to the letter, a mixture of confusion and flattery and a little guilt. With considerable effort she tore her eyes from it. Words escaped her at the sight of Ryoma's rather endearing look.

"Please...read it, if you have time."

As though doused with a bucket of cold water, Sakura immediately regained her bearings. He was confessing his feelings for her and she was just gaping at him like a fish out of water.

"Thank you so much," she said. "I honestly know how hard it is to admit your true feelings to someone."

He must have sensed the unspoken 'but' at the end of her sentence, and his expression fell a bit. Still, a glimmer of hope remained as he seemed to be working up the courage to say something else. Sakura knew she would have to shut him down directly, for his own good as well as for hers.

"I'm sorry," she began. "But I... I already have someone..."

An uncomfortable pause ensued as Ryoma digested her words. He recovered quickly, but Sakura could tell that he was hurt. It put a bad taste in her mouth to have to turn him down without even giving him a chance.

"I see," he said softly.

A shadowy image of Sasuke flashed in her mind. In the past when Sakura talked about her feelings for the last Uchiha, she always pictured him as she remembered him best. They were still teammates and friends, and he regarded her with that smirk that made her dizzy. But the only image she could conjure up right now was the way he'd glared at her just as he was about to drive his Chidori through her heart, red eyes mad and full of cold hatred. Her face fell.

_He's not who he used to be, is he?_

Ryoma, seeing her downcast expression, got the wrong idea and thought she felt guilty about having to reject him. "He's a lucky guy," he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "He must really be something to have your heart."

Sakura looked up at those words, but something over Ryoma's shoulder caught her eye. Shī was standing a few feet away, watching them carefully as though he hadn't meant to eavesdrop but just happened to be in the right place at the wrong time. They locked eyes.

"...Yeah," she said softly.

The desperation usually associated with thoughts of Sasuke these days fled, replaced with mortification at the thought of Shī bearing witness to this moment of...weakness? Intimacy? She felt exposed, vulnerable, and from the looks of it he mirrored her discomfort, and yet neither could look away. There was no hiding out here.

Swallowing the flush in her cheeks, Sakura returned her full attention to Ryoma. Suddenly wanting to be anywhere but here, she offered him an apologetic smile. "Um, I'm sorry but I really should get back to work..."

"Of course, I don't want to waste anymore of your time." He stepped aside as he said it.

Sakura did not miss the lingering sting of rejection in his eyes. She pressed her lips together. "I...really am sorry."

He shook his head. "Nothing to worry about."

After another awkward pause, Sakura nodded and brushed past him toward a waiting Shī. Refusing to look anywhere but at the floor, she stopped in front of him and waited until Ryoma's footsteps faded. They were alone. Shī shifted a little in front of her.

"...You were taking a long time, so I...thought something might have come up," he explained.

Sakura's eyes widened and she snapped her head up. Barely a foot of space separated them as Sakura was forced to tilt her head back to meet his gaze.

"Um...yeah..."

There was just no easy way out of this, it seemed. And the way he was looking down at her with an unreadable expression wasn't helping her sanity.

"Is that mine?" he said, breaking the staring contest and reaching out a hand to take one of the coffees.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," she said, handing over a cup.

She tried to ignore how their fingers touched with the simple transfer. He seemed to notice his unplanned contact, and immediately took a step back to give Sakura some space. She cleared her throat. "We should probably get back to work..."

"Yeah," he said, strangely quiet. He was walking back to the lab even before he finished his one word agreement.

Sakura made sure to walk a little more slowly, taking a deep breath to clear her head. She felt like she'd just gotten off a roller coaster.

_Get a grip, girl._

Luckily, the sight of a cold, filleted Zetsu clone was more than enough to sober her after the hallway incident. Shī seemed to have recovered too, as he was hastily sipping his coffee and eyeing the sample of Zetsu DNA. After downing her own coffee, Sakura stood opposite Shī and they looked back down at their pet project.

"Okay, let's get this over with."

Shī nodded resolutely, and they set back to work.

* * *

**Author's note: **Thanks so much to everyone who's been reviewing! I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate the feedback and support, especially for this decidedly odd pairing. Thanks to the logged out reviewers: Sabeez (who linked me some awesome ShīSaku fanart YAY!), anonymousx, and AlynDMiracle. You can all thank Stefanie92J for convincing me to get this out earlier than planned. YAY.


	6. VI

All's Fair in Love and War  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

_**VI**_

* * *

Shī was about ready to electrocute something. He'd been over it a hundred times, looping through farfetched theories and inventing the most implausible explanations for _why_ he couldn't figure it out. There was a flaw in Zetsu's transformation jutsu, of that he was certain. How else would Naruto have been able to pick out the clones? No, he was just overlooking something, that was all.

He kept coming back to what the blond Jinchuuriki had said about Zetsu being 'incomplete'. First of all, that made absolutely no sense. Sure, he was a clone of one half of the original Zetsu, so in a roundabout way it made some degree of sense. But it wasn't enough. The transformation technique was almost perfect, so much so that it continued to baffle even the best sensors in the world. Whatever weakness the technique concealed, it was doing a damn good job of it.

"They're incomplete," he muttered to himself as he scanned the corpse again.

It looked like Zetsu, had Zetsu's composition, and Shī would have never believed even for a moment that this thing had assumed the appearance of a Hyuuga. But the few remnants of its chakra all screamed Hyuuga. It was damn well frustrating, and Shī was sorely tempted to roast the thing with a well-aimed thunderbolt.

"Oh my _god. _That's—!"

Sakura's voice snapped him out of his dark thoughts, her shriller-than-normal tone making him wince. If this was another fluke...

"What is it," he said tiredly, turning to look at her hunched over a small microscope.

"It's... It's—!"

"What. What is _it?"_

Sakura leaned back from her microscope, and Shī came face to face with the most radiant smile he'd ever seen on another person. Ever.

It was a little bit scary.

"I figured something out!" she squealed.

It was Shī's turn to crack a smile. She looked really pleased. It was sort of a welcome sight after the usual doom and gloom atmosphere of the medical camp.

"What did you figure out?"

Sakura looked like she couldn't find the words to explain herself intelligibly. She had to force herself to take a deep breath. "Okay, so you know how we discovered early on that Zetsu's more plant than human? It bothered me at the time, but I couldn't figure out why."

"I'd say it's disturbing no matter how you look at it."

She ignored him. "Anyway, it was a long time ago, but I once had to examine Yamato when he was poisoned on a mission—"

"Who's Yamato?"

Sakura seemed a little taken off guard by the sudden interruption. "Oh right, you wouldn't know. He's one of my squad leaders. Anyway, that's not important. What _is _important is that the structure of Zetsu's DNA is almost identical to his."

Shī fixed her with a deadpan look. "You're telling me that your squad leader's also a giant Venus flytrap? What are the odds."

After a moment taken to digest the fact that he was actually being facetious, Sakura laughed. Shī smirked at her reaction. He couldn't resist, which was unusual for him. He never joked with anyone he wasn't very familiar with, but she seemed to go along with it. Perhaps it was because they were stuck in this hopeless war situation together. He'd heard from older shinobi that war had a tendency to create bonds between people that couldn't be replicated in any other situation. They were precious bonds that ran deep, nigh unbreakable. The idea that extreme cruelty and tragedy could actually bring two people together was discomfitting, to say the least. Sakura launched back into her explanation, and Shī shoved those unneeded thoughts to a dark corner of his mind.

"We haven't really had any time to work on this autopsy with everything else going on, but now I realize why I didn't notice it before." She stepped aside and indicated the microscope. "Take a look."

Shī, now more than a little curious, wordlessly took the space Sakura had previously been occupying and peered through the powerful magnifying lens. If he didn't know better, he'd say he was looking at plant cells. He was about to tell her just that when something caught his eyes.

_What is that?_

"There's something weird about this. It doesn't look like the samples from the corpse," he said, pulling back to look at Sakura.

She grinned deviously. "Exactly. That's the sample you were scanning. I didn't think it would make a difference on the cellular level so I didn't check it before now, but it's completely different."

"It's an amalgamation of human and plant cells held together by chakra. Zetsu's chakra," Shī mused aloud.

"Yes and no. See, Yamato has access to Mokuton, the First Hokage's nature affinity," Sakura began.

"He _what? _Are you serious?"

Everyone knew about the First Hokage's terrible bloodline limit. It could create worlds and destroy them just as easily, if the history books were anything to go by. But it was a power unique to him; none of his descendants possessed it. For someone to manifest it now...

"How is that possible? Are they related?"

Sakura's expression darkened. "Not exactly. Orochimaru injected him with the First Hokage's cells, and Yamato happened to be a match. Apparently, Orochimaru went through fifty or sixty test subjects before he found a compatible host."

Shī frowned. More Konoha shinobi doing unspeakable deeds... Sakura seemed to pick up on his thoughts.

"Before you say anything, let's get back to Zetsu."

Shī didn't argue; he was too interested in this new discovery. "So what are you trying to tell me?"

"Shizune and I already guessed that Zetsu and Yamato were similar on the cellular level when we examined this corpse originally. Neji's chakra altered it enough to make the connection weak, though. This sample," she indicated the microscope again, "was grown under controlled conditions without Neji's chakra infecting it."

Shī's eyes widened, understanding dawning. "They're identical, aren't they. And that means it's not just a similarity between Zetsu and Yamato, but also between Zetsu and—"

"—the First Hokage," she finished.

They stared at each other for a suspended moment, each digesting the underlying meaning of their simultaneously drawn conclusion. Sakura's eyes were alight with excitement at the discovery, and Shī wondered if her eyes had always been so bright. Had spending too much time walking through the corridors of the dead dulled them so much? Had it dulled him too?

"Zetsu is a living clone of the First Hokage," he said, dazed.

"Yamato's Mokuton is just a shadow of the First Hokage's. Even if he's Kabuto's prisoner, I think it's pretty unlikely that he'd be able to power a whole army of Zetsu clones by himself. So it's only logical—"

" —that Kabuto must have access to Senju Hashirama's DNA—"

"—just like Orochimaru did. He's using it to power the army!" Sakura enthusiastically finished their collective deductions.

Shī shook his head. "Unbelievable. That's why there are so many of them. No wonder they're so resilient."

"No wonder they can copy other people's chakra so effortlessly," Sakura added. "Hashirama was the most powerful Senju that ever lived. His life energy was said to be incredible. I'm not surprised that Zetsu can manipulate chakra to overpower his own when he wants to if he's channeling the original."

Shī nodded, his head swimming with these new revelations. There was a lot to process and analyze. It was time to look for any hidden clues. He turned and searched for one of the medical journals he and Sakura had been using to record their findings, already starting to jot down notes.

"I'm going to find Shizune and let her know about this," Sakura said. "Headquarters will want a report too. This could be a major step toward eliminating the Zetsu army."

Shī nodded absently, already too absorbed in recording all of this to acknowledge her properly. "I'll be here."

Sakura didn't pester him. She knew exactly what medic-mode did to a person. It would be better for her not to interrupt him. After the telltale rustling of a discarded lab coat, Shī heard her leave, her footsteps light and fast fading. Alone, he rubbed his eyes and willed his mind to focus. Everything was running through his head at a million miles an hour, and it was all he could do to make sense of it without jumping ahead faster than his pen could write.

He couldn't be sure how much time had passed as he hastily scribbled page after page of raw facts and branching theories that would have to be discussed with Sakura later. This was definitely progress, but it still wasn't the answer he was looking for. His pen halted its frantic journey across the page and Shī stared at his writing. He flipped through the fresh pages of notes, reading through what he'd written and trying to fill in the remaining pieces of the puzzle.

"What am I missing?"

The answer eluded him. He got the same feeling as when he was tracking an enemy who danced just beyond the furthest limits of his sensing range, a shadow flickering out of the corner of his eye. If he could just see a bit more clearly...

_...plant and human cells laced with foreign chakra...First Hokage's living clone...life energy...can manipulate foreign chakra to overpower his own..._

Shī stopped mid-sentence, rewinding to reread the note he'd just skimmed.

_Zetsu can manipulate foreign chakra to overpower his own, even suppress it entirely._

"Overpower his own," Shī repeated aloud. An idea began to bloom in his mind. He shot out of his chair and turned back to the microscope holding the sample of Zetsu's untainted DNA and chakra. With enough care not to break it, Shī removed the glass slide and slipped it inside a metal container. It was no bigger than a stick of gum. Concentrating, he poured his sensitive chakra into the sample, memorizing the feel of Zetsu's chakra.

_A little more._

He clenched his jaw, forcing his chakra to probe deeper and deeper until not only could he feel Zetsu's chakra, but he could also envision the cellular structure. It was a deep-tissue sensing method he'd developed by combining sensory techniques with his knowledge of delicate medical ninjutsu meant to be used only in situations of absolute security and calm. Time and silence were required to make effective use of the technique, making it virtually unusable in combat settings where scans lasted only milliseconds and time was ally to none.

He took a good twenty minutes to memorize the structure, and that was making good time. Not wanting to miss even the most miniscule detail, Shī turned the unique energy over and over again to be safe, until even when he withdrew his intense observation he could still feel it acutely. Dark eyes opened slowly, his vision a little blurry from the intense burst of chakra. He reached out a hand to support himself on the stainless steel examination table where the cadaver still rested. At the sight of it Shī didn't bother to hide his distaste.

"Suppress it entirely," he whispered to himself.

_Fuck it._

Fingering the small metal case that housed the untainted cell sample, Shī turned his focus to the dead clone itself. As always, he was inundated with a rush of Neji's now familiar chakra signature, weak as it was within the corpse. And as before, he couldn't detect anything else—

"There."

If he hadn't been holding onto the case he surely would have missed it. Paranoid that it may have been a fluke, he performed the scan again. It wasn't.

"Oh my god..."

Shī performed the scan a third and fourth time. Each time he did it, the flaw became more and more glaring.

"_It's like they're incomplete or something."_

Naruto's words finally made sense. Zetsu was an incomplete clone. Whereas traditional clones were meant to be exact replicas powered by a fraction of the original's chakra, the Zetsu clones literally transformed into their targets. But that transformation was imperfect. As seamless as it appeared superficially, the original's chakra still lay dormant under the surface, no matter how suppressed. Otherwise, the clones wouldn't function at all.

_No one can completely transform into another person._

"I did it," he said, incredulous. "I can sense the difference."

The only thought on Shī's mind at that moment was that he needed to find Sakura and tell her immediately.

* * *

"Sakura, if this is true, then it's a monumental breakthrough," Shizune breathed.

They were currently power-walking to the communications tent. Sakura wanted to report to Shizune before liaising with headquarters. It was a matter of protocol and hierarchy, but she also felt that Shizune deserved to hear it from her first. Shizune had been in the middle of an emergency surgery at the time, so she'd had to wait a while until the older kunoichi was finished to break the news to her.

"At the very least, we can assume that Yamato is still alive," she said as they rounded a corner and emerged outside.

Shizune nodded. "Yeah, thank goodness for that. But there's no other explanation for how the Zetsu clones can sustain so much damage. It must be the First Hokage's unfiltered DNA. No one else could match that kind of raw power."

Sakura's expression turned grim. "Kabuto obviously took more from Orochimaru than just his cells."

Shizune didn't respond, but her troubled look said more than words could. The older medic and Kabuto had been close before the latter turned rogue. Sakura didn't know the details, but she knew enough to understand that Shizune felt personally affected by Kabuto's ultimate defection. Sakura felt bad for bringing it up.

"I just meant that... The First Hokage's cells—"

"I know, Sakura," Shizune said, masking her feelings. "I guess...we all sort of have a Sasuke, you know?"

A long time ago, Sakura would have clammed up at the mention of Sasuke in such a way. But seeing the look in Shizune's eyes, she knew the older medic meant to convey empathy and understanding, not a personal attack. Besides, Sakura was better than that.

_It's just a name._

"Yeah, I know."

They were nearly at their destination when Hina stepped out of the tent. The redhead was making a beeline for the pair.

"Hina," Shizune said. "How are your rounds coming? Any problems?"

"Hm? Oh, not at all," she responded. "I wanted to talk to you about something though. Both of you, if you have a minute."

"We were actually on our way to the communications tent to report to headquarters," Shizune said.

"Shī and I made a critical discovery about the Zetsu clone," Sakura said.

"Oh! What kind of discovery?"

"It's kind of complicated. After we talk to headquarters we'll fill everyone else in," Shizune said, already motioning Sakura past.

Hina moved to stop them. "Is it dangerous? Should we be concerned?"

"Oh no, nothing like that—" Sakura began.

"Because we can't afford another infiltration," Hina continued. "It would be too devastating for the medical division to lose any more Jounin medics."

Sakura frowned. She definitely did not want Hina or any of the other medics getting the wrong idea. Inciting panic amongst an already high-alert camp was the last thing they needed.

"Really, it's nothing you have to worry about," Sakura said. "We just have to get the information to headquarters."

"It's just that everyone's been very tense since the last attack," Hina said. "Who knows what would have happened if Uzumaki Naruto hadn't shown up?"

"Hina," Shizune said, her tone gentle as she put a reassuring hand on the redhead's shoulder. "I assure you, this is nothing that concerns us directly. We're safe—"

Sakura didn't catch the rest of what Shizune said because in that moment a blinding golden light all but burned holes in her retinas. Hina's and Shizune's forms evaporated within the brilliant light, and Sakura felt her hair stand on end, electricity crackling in the air around her. A familiar but disturbing feeling tingled in the air around her as her eyes attempted to adjust in the aftermath of the bright flash. Nothing seemed to have changed. Hina and Shizune were still standing there, also looking dazed, but something was definitely not right...

_Genjutsu?_

With practiced movements, Sakura channeled her chakra and broke the illusion around her. The world rippled and cracked, peeling away until all traces of the mirage were gone. The sight that greeted her nearly gave her a heart attack.

"Shī! What are you doing!" she cried.

Shī's hand, which held a kunai, was embedded into Hina's chest to the hilt. He held her shoulder in a death grip, electric sparks dancing across his knuckles as Hina stared up at him with a look of unadulterated horror. Shizune was slumped on the ground, unresponsive.

_No... Another Zetsu clone!_

At the sound of Sakura's voice, Shī's dark eyes flickered briefly in her direction. "Sakura—"

"H-Help me, Sa...kura," Hina wheezed, her eyes glazed with fear and pain.

Without wasting another moment to stop and think, Sakura summoned chakra to her fists in preparation for battle as she stared, stunned beyond words, between Shī, Hina, and the fatal wound in Hina's chest.

"What have you done?" she said, advancing.

Shī looked a little shocked to see her talking to him, but he blinked it away. "Sakura, listen to me. This isn't what it looks like—"

"Get _back!" _Sakura bit out, preparing to slug him in the face.

In the split second when Shī shifted his attention to her fist, something very strange happened. Hina stopped wimpering and placed her palms flat against Shī's chest. With whatever strength remained in her, she shoved him away. Shī stumbled. It was all Hina needed.

"Die!"

Hina's hands transformed into tree roots and launched at Shī with incredible velocity. It all seemed to happen in slow motion as Sakura watched Shī try to dodge the attacks. Medical ninja were trained never to get hit, but at extremely close range there was no way he'd avoid it completely. Sakura threw herself at Hina just as one of her root hands caught Shī in the arm, piercing through his shoulder. Miraculously, he'd managed to avoid the second projectile attack entirely.

As Sakura closed in on 'Hina', her sharp mind rapidly processed what had happened. Even before Hina's normally dark green eyes bled a sickly yellow and her skin turned too ashen to be entirely human, Sakura understood that she'd made a grievous error.

So she didn't hesitate when her glowing fist connected with the Zetsu clone's face.

The squelch and crunch of her fist pulverizing Zetsu's face gave Sakura more satisfaction than should probably be considered healthy. She didn't let up until they crashed into the ground, and the earth erupted all around them in a deluge of rock and dirt.

It took a few seconds for the dust to settle and Sakura to regain her bearings. Her breathing was labored in the aftermath of the adrenaline rush. This was becoming far too commonplace, she thought grimly as she reclaimed her now sticky green hand and shifted until she was no longer straddling the very dead Zetsu clone.

"Sakura," a voice called nearby.

"Shī," Sakura said, moving to his side in an instant.

He was kneeling and had already started healing his shoulder to staunch the blood flow. They locked gazes and Sakura momentarily lost the ability to form words. A second sooner and she would have pummeled _his_ head instead of the real imposter's. It had all happened so quickly...

"You broke my genjutsu," he said, irritated.

"Huh?" Of all the things he could have said just then, this was the last thing she'd been expecting.

"How?"

"I...have a genjutsu affinity," she blurted out.

"...Oh."

Oh?

_Oh?!_

"Wake Shizune. She needs to know," he said.

"Know what?"

His gaze flickered to the mutilated Zetsu clone and hardened. "How I finally figured out how to sense them."

* * *

**Author's note: **OMFG everyone check out the gorgeous fanart that **Stefanie92J **drew in all her talented brilliance! The link is in my profile, and it's the confession scene from the last chapter.

ACTION. More to come. You know me, and you know it's going to get real. Thanks to the logged out reviewers this time around: anonymousx, AlynDMiracle, guest, and dude. Love.


	7. VII

All's Fair in Love and War

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

_**VII**_

* * *

The damage had been done. Just when Shī had figured out how to sense the damn things, they decided to go on a killing spree right under his nose. How long had they been in the camp? And why hadn't anyone at least noticed their actions until now?

Four patients who would have otherwise lived were dead by the time Shī showed up and identified the culprits. Akari didn't need to be told twice. As soon as Shī showed up in the OR and zeroed in on a Zetsu clone posing as a Chuunin nurse, Akari jumped her and drove a chakra scalpel into her brain stem. The clone reverted to its original form even before it hit the floor, startling a sleeping patient.

"Ugly fucker," Akari spat, grimly admiring her handiwork. She didn't even question Shī as to how exactly he knew the nurse was actually a Zetsu clone in disguise.

_There are more. I know they're here._

Slipping into his familiar sensor role, Shī extended his sensitive chakra to search the area for more intruders. Right away, he noticed something highly disturbing.

"Akari. Hina's injured. She's in the next tent over in the far left corner," he said.

Akari narrowed blue eyes at the fallen imposter once more. "Any more of 'em I should know about?"

"Not in the vicinity. Hina's dying. Hurry," he said, already making for the opposite door leading outside.

_If the real Hina's injured, then that means there's another clone somewhere masquerading as her._

It was by this deduction that he determined that Sakura and Shizune were in peril. With no time even to enlist help, which would have likely required an explanation for his suspicions, Shī was forced to intercept the trio and take out the imposter alone. He hadn't expected Sakura to attempt to attack him in the process, however.

"How was I supposed to know Hina was the Zetsu clone and not you?" Sakura grumbled as she pulled splinters out of Shī's shoulder.

A permanent scowl had found its way onto Shī's face as he concentrated on blocking out the sharp pain from his fresh wound. "Is that what your excuse would've been if you'd decapitated me instead of the clone?"

Sakura yanked an obscenely large splinter from his shoulder, making him curse under his breath. Apparently, she didn't appreciate his sarcasm. "You want to do this yourself? 'Cause I can totally leave these and you'll have a mini Zetsu growing out of your shoulder in nine months."

Shī rolled his eyes, not wanting to provoke her before she finished. Instead, he reached up a glowing green hand and began healing the damage she was creating. "I can finish this myself. You should get back to the patients."

"It's fine. You're the priority anyway, since without you we'll be down two medics instead of just one. Here, push your shoulder back a little more..."

In the stagnant chill of the room, Sakura's palm felt searing hot against Shī's bare skin as she gently straightened his shoulder. He was suddenly aware that he was shirtless, and the thought made him flush despite the chill.

"So I think you should be the one to relay the news to headquarters about the discovery, since you're the only one who can sense the Zetsu clones," Sakura said, oblivious to his attitude shift.

"...Right."

_She's so..._

Sakura must have noticed his stare because green eyes flickered to meet his, and all of a sudden the inches separating their faces seemed irrelevant. Against his better judgment, he found his gaze drifting down the gentle slope of her nose toward slightly parted lips—

"Hey, you okay?" she asked.

Shī immediately pulled away from her, but the abrupt motion rocked the chair he was sitting in and, as luck would have it, toppled it over. Instinctively twisting to protect his injured shoulder, he landed on his good arm with a _thud. _

"Ow."

"What the hell are you doing?" Sakura said, reaching out for him. "Are you _trying_ to hurt yourself even more? Honestly."

Shī let her pull him up, dark eyes watching her warily. It appeared as though she was unaware of his discomfort.

"I tripped."

Sakura levelled him with a look that said 'yeah right'. "You were sitting down."

"...I'm clumsy."

Sakura was now highly suspicious. "No, you're not."

"I am," Shī insisted.

She opened her mouth to retort, but Shizune poked her head into their examination room just then.

"Hey guys, I just spoke with Shikaku about what hap...pened...?" Curious brown eyes drifted between Sakura, a shirtless Shī, and their still clasped hands.

"Oh, um, I didn't mean to interrupt...?"

Once she realized the implications of the situation, Sakura blushed like a tomato and shoved Shī back to the floor with more force than was really necessary, causing him to crash land against the toppled chair with an _oof!_

"What the_ hell, _Sakura!" Shī said from his position on the floor once more.

"Sakura!" Shizune said, moving to Shī's side to make sure he was okay.

"Wha— That wasn't _my_ fault!" Sakura sputtered, still recovering from her earlier embarrassment.

"You're the one who pushed him down," Shizune reprimanded. "He's already injured as it is!"

"Oh please!" Sakura said.

"I can heal myself," Shī added, a little put off by all the concern for his wellbeing. Sakura wasn't so strong that he couldn't reverse any damage she did. _Really, though._

Shizune looked between the two of them and shook her head, mumbling something about losing a bet. "Shī, please make yourself decent or you'll alarm the patients. Ao is standing by at headquarters for your report to the Sensor Division."

The room's temperature fell as the weight of the recent discovery about the Zetsu clones hung around them, a secret heavy with the blood of fallen allies. Shī wondered how Hina was doing in intensive care, and the anger he felt when he'd seen the imposter making its move against Sakura and Shizune returned to him.

"Yeah. I'll be right there."

* * *

"You're positive this will work?"

Shī fingered the case concealing the untainted Zetsu cell sample, frowning. Ao's voice echoed in his head like a second consciousness, an eerie sensation brought on by Yamanaka Inoichi's technique. The communications tent was bare and bland, empty save for himself. Voices echoed in the distance outside beyond the burlap flaps, but a special soundproofing technique prevented any conversations had here from leaking outside. "Yes. I successfully identified two clones earlier today. The problem is that mostly likely only high level sensors will be able to make the connection. And it'll take some time."

There was silence for a moment as Ao seemed to think this over. "That's not ideal, but we'll take what we can get. Have the medical corps. send us samples. I'm recalling the team now, so we should be able to employ your technique within the next couple of days." He paused, thinking. "If only there was a way to identify all the clones at once. There aren't enough of us to be running around the various divisions picking out the enemy."

Shī wondered about that. It would indeed be easier for everyone if they could sense all the imposters in one fell swoop without having to search for them amongst the field troops. But how? "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Ao sighed. "I think the best place for you is the medical camps. I heard they nearly lost a healer to the most recent infiltration, yes? Stay there and help out as much as you can. I'll send for you once we get figure out how to get the Zetsu threat under control."

Shī had been expecting this, and honestly he was a bit let down. He wanted to be out on the front lines again in the thick of the action, where he assumed he could do the most damage. But he knew his duty, and he would respect his superior's wishes.

"I know what you're thinking, Shī, and don't. Remember when I told you that you could be a force to change the outcome of this war? Well, you've sure as hell done it. This new information will help us win the war."

Shī smiled a little. "I know." After a short pause in which he faced an internal debate, he added, "I couldn't have figured it out on my own. The medics here are...something."

"Good, I'm glad to hear they're good resources. I'll be in touch with any updates. And Shī?"

"Yes?"

"Stay sharp. Just because we have a way to counteract the Zetsu clones now doesn't mean they won't stop their attempts to infiltrate the medical camp. You're the first line of defense over there."

Shī's eyes fell, the magnitude of Ao's words sinking in. It was a lot of responsibility, and he would have to shoulder it all alone. But he wouldn't fail the medical team. "Understood."

The connection severed and the only voice in Shī's head was once again his own. Taking in a deep breath, he tried to calm his nerves. It appeared he'd be staying here for a while. That bothered him, he couldn't deny as much, but he had no choice. Truthfully, it wasn't actually a bad thing. He placed high value on his ability to save lives as well as end them, and if he could ease the suffering of a few allies it was all the better. Besides, he didn't detest the company.

Shī ran a hand through thick blond locks. _Not the worst company in the world..._

The voices of medical staff running about doing chores drew him back to the real world, and Shī decided he better stop dawdling and check in on his rounds. He exited the tent and made his way toward the OR tents, passing various nurses and patients on his way.

"...hear the news?"

"I heard nothing's happened..."

Entirely by accident, Shī ended up walking behind a pair of gossiping Chuunin medical ninja. He couldn't help but overhear their conversation.

"Yeah, I heard he was spotted by scouts."

"No, truly? Someone ought to warn Uzumaki Naruto."

"Mhm. But he was alone apparently, and I'm not sure where he was going."

"Probably to fight with Madara. Those Uchihas are all trouble."

The nurse shook her head. "It's such a shame, too. That Uchiha Sasuke was supposed to be a real looker."

Shī nearly stopped in his tracks at the mention of that name.

_Uchiha Sasuke._

Memories of a day not long ago resurfaced. A genjutsu, its power frigid and terrible, stopping him in his tracks and sucking the light out of him until he could no longer stand. He'd always thought Itachi was the one with the genjutsu affinity, but it seemed the younger brother was adept in his own right. The Sharingan granted unimaginable power. If only he'd known, he would have used a stronger illusion back then to incapacitate the younger Uchiha before he could retaliate...

"Ooh, don't say that around Sakura though," the other nurse cautioned. "You know how she carries a torch for him."

"Don't say that! You don't know if that's really true, and it's rude besides. What if someone heard you and told her?"

Shī's eyes narrowed at that. He knew Sakura was sensitive about her old teammate, which he could understand on some level, but he'd never thought she might harbor feelings for him beyond those of a teammate and friend. He found himself upset by the notion. Uchiha Sasuke was a traitor and a murder, not to mention one of the enemies of this shinobi alliance. How could she possibly have feelings for someone like him after all he'd done?

He remembered an encounter not long ago, in which a recovered patient had apparently confessed his feelings to Sakura. He hadn't meant to listen in, but it happened so quickly. Didn't she tell him her heart belonged to another? Could that person truly be Uchiha Sasuke?

As he made his way into the OR tent and the nurses scuttled away in a different direction, Shī found himself in a sour mood. The Sakura he'd come to know was strong-willed and smart, the type to reason her way through any conundrum no matter how mystifying. He knew she was emotional when it came to the people close to her, but he'd never realized how deeply she felt about that traitor Uchiha...

_She knows his crimes; she said so herself. So how could she possibly..._

It took Shī a moment to realize he was standing in the middle of the OR, unmoving in his mental argument. These thoughts were a black cloud hanging over him, and he didn't like the feeling at all.

"Excuse me! Out of the way!"

A pair of orderlies rushed by pushing a stretcher, a critically injured patient aboard it, and nearly knocked Shī over. He jumped out of the way just in time and watched the orderlies scurry away to the next tent over, where the emergency operations took place.

Dark eyes followed their progress, wondering who it could be this time.

* * *

Sakura was running through a checklist with the names and statuses of recovering patients as she made her way down the rows of the OR. Today was as grim a day as ever after the attack from the Zetsu clones. Hina was still in intensive care, with both Kentarou and Kana working hard to stabilize her. They guessed Zetsu had meant to kill her, and only her heightened regenerative abilities and Shī's forewarning saved her long enough to get medical attention. Sakura shook her head at her clipboard. They'd lost a number of recovering patients to the clones. She felt like breaking something.

"...lost a lot of blood, but where are the exit wounds?"

"...can't stop the bleeding!"

Sakura, overhearing the frantic nurses, turned to see them standing over a stretcher. They were busy preparing IVs.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Sakura said, walking over the group.

"Oh, Doctor! Thank god you're here," one of the nurses said.

Sakura approached the opposite side of the stretcher to get a look at the patient, already prepared to drop everything and focus on him. The sight of that face made all the blood drain from her face as fear gripped her heart in its icy claws.

"Oh my god, Lee!"

She was on him in an instant, shoving the nearest nurse away as her green chakra flared to life to determine what was wrong with him. What she found made her stomach turn.

"I need—"

She was cut off abruptly when Lee's entire body began to convulse viciously. "He's having a seizure!"

The nurses tried to restrain him, but the shaking was uncontrollable and he was strong even in this state. Froth leaked from his mouth, and Sakura knew this would take a lot more than brute strength. Thinking quickly, she poured green chakra into him and manually eased the spasming, numbing his overworked muscles. Sweat beaded upon her brow as she worked. When he finally calmed down, Sakura found two bloodshot eyes looking up at her through unshed tears.

"S-Sakura? Is that... Is that really you?"

Sakura met Lee's unfocused gaze and nearly lost her resolve. "Yeah, it's me. Hey," she said gently. "You're going to be okay, just relax."

"I'm... I—"

"Don't talk, okay? I'm going to fix you."

As her energy seeped through Lee's mangled body, she first discerned the hundreds of miniscule cuts on his skin, the source of the blood loss. But how had they gotten there? Probing deeper, she waded through layers of shredded muscle, bulging and pulsating unnaturally. What on earth...?

"Hey, what's going on?"

Sakura blinked and looked up to see Shī coming to a stop on the other side of Lee's stretcher. "Please, I need your help," she said, voice wobbly.

"Of course," he said, calculating eyes running over Lee's bloodied body and already performing the requisite hand seals for the mystical palm technique. "What the... What happened to him?"

"He must have opened the lotus gates," Sakura said. "Shit."

"Lotus what?"

Sakura shook her head. "It's a technique that allows him to tap into the maximum potential of his muscle mass, but the strain is compounded the more gates he opens. For it to be at this level means he must have done something drastic."

Lee suddenly gasped and began coughing violently, and Sakura paled at the sight of blood on his lips. "S-Sa... Sa—"

"Lee, it's going to be all right. Just try not to speak," Sakura said, trying to mask the escalating anxiety she felt.

"Every muscle in his body is a shredded mess. I've never seen anything like it," Shī said.

She returned her attention to the blond Kumo nin, suddenly upset by his diagnosis. "Just stop the bleeding. We'll regrow the muscles."

"Sakura, I don't know—"

"Just do it, Shī!" she hissed, already trying to reverse the effects of the lotus gate.

But the bleeding wouldn't stop.

"No, come on. Come on!"

As she poured more and more chakra into Lee, Sakura stole glances at his lidded eyes, if only to make sure they were still open. Of all the people who could have ended up like this...

"The ligaments are mush. The only thing holding them together is whatever chakra he's got left over from that technique, but it's fading—"

"Stop it, just _stop! _Losing him is not an option!"

Shī watched her in shock for a moment, torn between reason and the emotional turmoil in her eyes, but his expression fell and he returned his attention back to Lee. "All right."

Sakura ignored the constricting feeling in her throat as she wove her chakra through Lee's tattered muscles, willing them to reform. But the millions of tiny capillaries were bursting before her eyes, drawing more blood to seep out through the many incisions in his skin. The technique had taken its horrible toll.

"Sakura, p-please..."

Lee's voice was barely audible, a whisper of fading life as he beseeched his long-time friend. Sakura put a hand on his head and smoothed out his hair, matted with dirt and blood that could have belonged to anyone. He looked so fragile through her blurry vision.

"Hey, Shī and I are going to fix you up. He's a great medic, and we'll fix you—"

Lee's hand found Sakura's then, limp and sticky with blood. This wasn't the strong Lee she remembered.

"I-I'm glad...I got t-to see you...one last...time."

Sakura stared at him in shock, not registering his words for a moment.

_No._

"No, no Lee, don't you dare talk like that."

Across the stretcher, Shī watched her over his futile chakra output, but he never ceased his attempts. The nurses had slowed their work to look on as Sakura tried to argue with Lee.

"I'm—" Lee was cut off as he coughed again, drawing up more blood. "I'm so h-happy."

Sakura didn't know when the tears began to fall, but it felt as though her soul were pouring out of her along with the salty heat. "There's still time to be happy."

He twisted his tired lips into what could have been a smile. "I'm s-so happy...that I...l got t-to see you..."

Sakura sniffled, the tears running freely now as her chakra only confirmed what she'd known the minute she'd laid eyes on him like this. Moving her hands to cup his dirty cheeks, her tears fell to his face and left shining tracks in their wake. "Please, stay with me, Lee. Please."

It was happening so fast that she couldn't even think straight. One minute she was spouting words of encouragement and beautiful impossibilities, vowing to save this boy who was _too young, _and the next she wanted to end his cruel suffering. Even someone as strong as Konoha's Green Beast could not take this torture.

"Lee, I'm so sorry," she whispered through her tears. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't cry, S-Sakura," he wheezed, still smiling. "I'm n-not afraid...to die. So please..."

The feel of Lee's fingers in hers as she stayed her hand gave her the strength to see this through to the bitter end. With one flare of bright blue chakra, he relaxed under her touch, sighing in relief as the wracking agony left him in a single breath. The light left his eyes, but the smile stayed.

What happened next was a blur. Her hands shook, shook with the force of a great quake tearing her apart from the inside out as she fisted Lee's ripped flak jacket. "No, not like this."

Doubting herself, wondering if she could have done something more, _anything_ more, she shook him. "Not like this!"

The nurses and other patients looked on, helpless to do anything else as Sakura lost her hope. Strong hands gripped her wrists suddenly and pulled hard, ripping her away from Lee's bloody form. She landed against a broad chest, but Shī didn't release her.

"No, let me go! Let _go of me!" _she cried.

Shī said nothing as she pushed him and beat her fists against his chest, leaving streaks of Lee's blood on his pristine white vest. Every movement sent searing pain through his overworked hands, but he held fast. And he remained silent.

"Let me go," she said again, this time less forcefully as her energy left her with each tear shed and every blow she delivered. "Let go..."

Shī released one of her wrists and wrapped an arm around her, hugging her to him until she was pressed flush against him. Warm breath tickled her hair, but she barely noticed amidst the anguish.

"No," he said, voice muffled against her plastered bangs as he held her close.

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and let go of the last of her strength. Shaking fingers found the collar of his vest and curled around the edges, rending and raw. Sensing her relaxing, Shī wrapped his other around her frail form and used the the little strength remaining to him to hold her up. Sakura turned away from Lee's unmoving form and cried on Shī's shoulder, clinging tight for fear she'd disappear.

All the while, he said nothing as he ran quaking fingers through her hair and held her close, never letting go.

* * *

**Author's note: **UM. Yeah, there's that. This is a war story, so... Anyway, happy holidays, everyone! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! To the people I can't reply to personally, thank you so much: NoNameIdiot, Anonymous, Anonymousx, and Sabeez. Reviews are love, guys! Show some! :)


	8. VIII

All's Fair in Love and War

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

_**VIII**_

* * *

Monotony.

It was easier to think of her daily life in that way, a routine to be followed. _Mind numbing._

"I need a refill on water now," Sakura said to the nurse assisting her with a delicate poison extraction. When the nurse took longer than the fifteen seconds necessary to complete the task she said, "Before the patient dies would be ideal."

The nurse hustled to obey, sloshing liquid onto Sakura's flak vest in her hurry. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

Sakura resisted the urge to say something she would regret later. "It's fine, just focus on the procedure, please."

The nurse nodded, but her deflated reaction only irritated Sakura further. Had it always been this bad here? It was like the staff didn't take the job seriously even though one small mistake could mean an innocent life. As the days passed one agonizing hour at a time, Sakura grew increasingly upset about her circumstances. Here she was working her ass off trying to help people, but no one else seemed to be putting in enough effort to make a difference. Most of them didn't have the capacity to do much. The patients continued to die all around her. She'd seen more death in the past few days than she had in her entire life.

"Sakura."

Shizune was walking toward her between tables in the mess hall. Sakura put down her fork, not really hungry anyway.

"What's the problem?"

The older medic shook her head. "Nothing, I just wanted to check in on you. How are you holding up?"

"Just peachy. I think I only lost four patients today instead of five."

Shizune pursed her lips but chose not to comment on Sakura's tone. "Listen, I want you to take a break tonight. Rest and relax a little. Hina's back to normal, so she can handle your rounds for a few hours."

"Why? I'm not injured."

"Aren't you?"

Sakura had an idea of where this was going, and she didn't like it. "This is war. People are going to die, even people we love. I think we both understand that."

When she attempted to leave, Shizune reached for her shoulder. The look in her eyes made Sakura want to cry, but she refrained. How selfish could she be to wallow in grief over the life of one when there were hundreds depending on her still?

"Yes, we do. And it's because I know what you're going through that I'm insisting. You're not well. You haven't been since it happened."

"I'm fine. Just awake now."

"I'm not asking, Sakura. You're relieved of duty for the next six hours and that's final. Take some time to yourself and try to put it behind you until the war is over. It's not fair to your patients to let your emotions cloud your judgment."

Sakura wanted to protest. Shizune calling her an emotional wreck unable to perform her duties was an affront she'd never stand for in happier times. But Shizune could be a hard woman when she wanted to be, and right now arguing looked like it would only land her in a world of trouble. A part of her conceded that maybe Shizune had a point.

"Fine," Sakura said. "Six hours, then you'll let me get back to work?"

"I just want to make sure you're okay. What would I tell Tsunade-sama if you collapsed?"

Sakura swallowed the sour taste in her mouth. Shizune was just trying to look out for her in the wake of what was probably the most devastating personal tragedy she'd ever experienced. And she did it in spite of the losses she'd suffered here herself.

Her eyes fell. "I know, and I'm sorry. I appreciate it, really. I'll take a break."

The hand on her shoulder drew Sakura in for a hug that ended far too soon for her liking. A part of her wished she could curl up and forget the world around her, but they still had a job to do. No further words were exchanged as Shizune braved a smile and left Sakura to her devices.

Not at all looking forward to having nothing to do but dwell, Sakura walked out of the mess hall like an inmate suddenly out of the loony bin. No longer a slave to her work, the tented hallways seemed inhospitable and oppressive, the cloth ceilings pressing down and making her feel claustrophobic. Staff members and the occasional patient haunted the hallways. They paid her no mind. No one looked happy despite being alive. _They're scared, _she decided. She would be, too, if she faced the prospect of returning to the front lines after suffering an injury grievous enough to warrant a trip to the central medical base.

_What am I even doing here?_

Before long, Sakura found herself outside with no particular destination in mind. There were plenty of people out here, too. Recovering shinobi paced the grounds, working hard to recuperate their battered bodies in order to return to the battles they'd lost before. Guards stood at their posts and observed the grounds with keen eyes. These days, they could not be too mindful of activity.

Sakura wondered what she should do for the next six hours. She could sleep, and in all honesty she should, but ignoring the hole in her heart would only build pressure until the floodgates burst one day. Waking up was the worst part, anyway. It was too hard to leave behind dreams filled with smiling faces of friends she hadn't let die. Turning on her heel, she marched in the opposite direction of the recovering shinobi.

Rumbling sounds drew her attention as she came upon a section of the perimeter the doujutsu users maintained. They were packing together mud and rock to fortify a wall riddled with veins of their chakra. Watching them work Sakura felt her mind lull a bit. This, too, was monotonous. There was some meager comfort to be had in redundancy.

In the distance, the light of the sun waned with the approaching dusk, but Sakura curled up at the base of a tree to watch the douton users continue their labor, remembering and regretting. This probably wasn't what Shizune had had in mind when she'd told Sakura to get some rest.

"Sakura."

She continued to stare into the distance even as Shī addressed her. "Yeah?"

"What are you doing out here alone?"

"Relaxing. Doctor's orders."

After the incident with Lee, everything had blurred together into the endless pain and self-loathing that usually came with failure, except this incarnation had been far more intense than any she could remember. Lee had been dear to her, a true friend. If it hadn't been for Shī, Sakura may have come apart at the seams.

"You? Relaxing?"

Perhaps he meant to comfort, but the look in his eyes carried suspicion. Sakura hugged her knees to her chest as she remembered how he'd held her in a similar fashion. She remembered him escorting her (carrying her, practically) to her room and leaving only when Shizune arrived. The whole time he hadn't spoken a word as she drowned in her tears. They hadn't spoken since.

"Got nothing better to do for the night."

The breeze was cool but not chilly despite the onset of twilight. Sakura didn't feel it much, content to stare at the manual labor winding down across the clearing. The douton users would be heading inside for dinner before making their evening patrols. She wondered if any of them had lost people in the war effort. Maybe their lovers and sisters and sons had passed through here on a stretcher. It was hard to tell from the laughter that drifted from their group when one—the burliest of the bunch—slipped on some mud and dropped the bag of sawdust he was carrying. Covered in wood chips and mud, Sakura supposed she couldn't blame the others for laughing. But she found little energy to enjoy the sight.

"I'm sorry," Shī said. He had knelt down beside her but kept his distance.

"For what?"

"You know what."

Sakura bit down on her traitorous lower lip to quell the tremble there. There was no mocking in Shī's look, but she despised it all the same. "It's not your fault. You didn't let him die."

"What's that supposed to mean? That _you_ did?"

"I don't want to talk about this." Sakura raked a hand through her bangs and pressed her lips together until they hurt.

Shī pulled her hand out of her hair by the wrist and tugged hard enough to draw her attention. "You didn't let him die. I can't believe you'd even think that."

"It's worse than that," Sakura said. "I ended it for him. He asked me and I…I just…"

"You showed him mercy. That's more than what most guys get coming in here."

Sakura clenched the fist Shī still held captive. "Mercy? Since when is killing my friends _mercy? _He was seventeen years old!"

Shī's eyes softened a little at the sight of welling tears in hers. "He was beyond help. He was suffering, and you showed him a kindness—"

"The hell I did!" Sakura yanked her hand away and scrambled to her feet. "You didn't even know him, okay? He wasn't supposed to… He was _too good."_

Shī stood. "No, I didn't know him. But I saw the state of his muscles. There was nothing either of us could have done. Be reasonable."

She wanted to scream. "He was too good to die. And I…" The tears stung and she squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm just as bad as you say."

"What are you talking about? I never said—"

"It's Konoha's fault we're in this war, right?" Sakura said, wiping the escaped tears with a sleeve. "Madara and Kabuto, Akatsuki, Orochimaru. They're all Konoha's problem. _We_ are the problem."

"That's not what I meant."

"Isn't it?" Sakura held his gaze as she went on the offensive. "We're the ones responsible for this, just like you said. Even Sasuke. I know what he is. I just never wanted to admit it. I think… I think I've known for a long time."

"Just stop and listen for one se—"

"If it wasn't for him, maybe Naruto and I could have been happier, and you wouldn't hate Konoha so much. If it weren't for me, then Lee would still be alive—"

Sakura cut her words short when Shī grabbed her by the shoulders and shook.

"Stop it," he said. "That's _enough."_

The ardor in his plea surprised Sakura so much that she did stop for a moment. It was all he needed.

"You're nothing like Uchiha Sasuke. He failed you, but you didn't fail Lee."

Sakura pressed her palms against his chest to push him away, but he held firm. "I don't—"

"No, you need to hear this," he interrupted. "What I said before about Konoha...I didn't mean you. Or Shizune, or the Hokage, or everyone fighting with us. I know you're not the problem, I just didn't know _you. _But now I do, and I want…"

Night had fallen by then and a chill raised goose bumps along Sakura's arms where Shī held her. She searched his eyes and wondered why he'd stopped talking. Under the pale pinks and oranges of sunset, he almost looked upset.

"What do you want?" she asked.

Silence was her only answer for several breaths as Shī held her gaze. The descending chill of evening made Sakura shiver all of a sudden, but she barely felt it under the heat of his palms where he still held her.

"...I want you to find a way past this," he said at last. "Don't condemn yourself for a crime you didn't commit."

Tears welled in her eyes against Sakura's better judgment. This was not the man she'd met several weeks ago, the one she'd clashed with at every turn. Or maybe this was who he'd always been, and she was only now allowed the privilege to see it. Regardless, Sakura decided she was finished pushing away the people in her life who cared enough to help.

Relaxing the iron grip she had on his vest, Sakura moved her arms around Shī's neck and pulled him close, burying her face in the crook of his neck. When her breath hitched with the first sob, Shī wrapped one arm around her middle while the other found her hair.

"Don't cry," he said, running nimble fingers through her hair.

"Someone has to cry for all the people we've lost."

"...No."

Sakura pulled away, confused at his sudden change of demeanor. "No?"

Even though the atmosphere had turned serious, Shī continued to play with her hair. The cold no longer reached them.

"No," he said again. "We'll end this war. You and me, together."

Sakura felt something pulling her in as she held his gaze, dark and deep and so much like Sasuke's. But there was no hatred or anger there, no madness as he tried to ram a screaming Chidori through her heart. Thinking back, she wasn't even sure what Sasuke was seeing when he attacked her, but it wasn't this. Shī looked at her like he saw her, only her. Warm fingers continued to tug at her hair, and Sakura felt herself leaning into them.

"That's a lot of responsibility for just two people," she said, humoring him.

"I feel like I can do anything when I'm around you," he said, as if it should have been obvious.

A blush threatened to bloom on Sakura's cheeks as she processed his words, but he continued as though nothing was amiss.

"And it's not just us. It's Konoha and Cloud and the rest of the alliance. It starts here, with the Zetsu clones and you and me, and soon we'll have the whole army taking them out."

Something in his conviction reminded her of Naruto when he set his mind to something, which was a ridiculous thought because Shī was _nothing _like Naruto. And yet, she could feel his words ringing true. Here, with him, she almost felt like she could do anything, too.

"Once the Zetsu army's taken care of, that will eliminate about ninety percent of the enemy's numbers," he continued. "No one else has to die for this stupid war."

Sakura's face fell at that, her thoughts stuck on Lee dying under her fingertips. She let her gaze fall. "But there's nothing we can do for the ones who've already died."

Shī moved the hand in her hair down her arm until he found her hand and squeezed. She looked up, puzzled by the unreadable, almost uncomfortable expression in his eyes.

"His death won't be in vain," he said with conviction. "None of it will."

Sakura could not have passed a coherent thought through her head then if she tried. Between the tempest of negative emotions swirling within her, the talk of Konoha and wars and victory, and the way he was touching her, she couldn't have thought clearly if she tried. But why...?

"I need to report back to Ao. Are you...going to be okay?"

Sakura blinked, a little stunned at the change of subject. "Um, I..."

"Sakura?"

"Yeah, sorry, I'm just going to take a nap, I think."

Shī nodded and released her. "I'll see you later, maybe when you're feeling better."

"Sure..."

He left and Sakura was alone once more, rooted to the spot and unable to process what had just happened. If she didn't know any better, she'd say Shī was flirting with her.

_Oh Sakura, he was doing more than that._

A hand found it's way into her hair, still warm from his touch, and she felt all the breath leave her body. He'd distracted her. If only for a few precious moments, she was so focused on him that she wasn't hung up on the tragedy of Lee's death. _Accidental_ death.

_It was an accident._

She knew it wasn't her fault, but someone had to take the blame for it. People like Lee didn't just die for no reason. A familiar blanket of despair draped around her shoulders, physically weighing her down, but she remained upright. Fingers twisted the ends of her hair, remembering another's fingers in their place only moments ago. Against her better judgment, heat reddened her cheeks.

_But I couldn't possibly..._

Sakura shook her head. There was no way, and she wasn't even going to think about it. That was the absolute last thing that should be on her mind at a time like this. Lee was still dead and many more were in danger of joining him. Shizune was right. She needed to rest and recover so she could start fresh. If nothing else, she owed it to the patients under her care. Determined, she headed back to her bunk for a few hours' rest.

* * *

_Idiot._

Shī felt heavier with each step he took away from Sakura. This wasn't right even if his intentions were pure. He'd seen people fall into that black abyss of self-loathing brought on by the guilt of loss and failure, usually at the expense of another. Sakura was only torturing herself over Lee's death which, as anyone could see, had been inevitable. Shī doubted even the legendary Tsunade could have saved him. But he knew what it was like to lose people, people he loved and cherished who didn't deserve to die and be unable to do anything for them.

"_What are you going to be when you grow up?"_

"_Don't you know? Well, you can decide when we come back, okay?"_

_Don't leave me..._

Sometimes, he could still hear the sound of his father's voice, could still smell his mother's perfume when she'd lean in close to tell him secrets. Shī ran a hand through his hair to dispel the memory. There was no point in dwelling on what could not change.

Cutting through the medical tent to get to communications, Shī was surprised to feel a tug on his arm. "Hina, you're all right," he said, relieved to see the redhead up and about again.

Hina smiled. "Yes, thanks to you. Akari told me what you did."

"Oh, I didn't really do—"

"Nonsense, you saved my life. If you hadn't figured out the Zetsu clones' secret and located me when you did, I'd be dead and you know it."

Shī smiled a little. He was genuinely relieved to know that she was all right. Her vitality was amazing, truly. "I'm glad to know you're okay. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to be going."

"Shī," she called to him. "I...well, I know it's none of my business, but I wanted to return the favor somehow."

"What is it?"

Hina looked up and down the narrow, tented corridor to make sure no one was around to overhear them. "I...forgive me, but I saw you outside earlier with Sakura, and I just wanted you to know that it's nice to see something something good come out of all this." She gestured with her arm to indicate the medical tent around them. "I'm very happy for you both."

_Not this again._

Shī resisted the urge to say something harsh. She'd only just recovered, after all. As usual, he recited the same spiel he gave to Akari whenever she pestered him. "There's nothing going on between Sakura and myself. We're professionals brought together by this horrible war, that's all."

Hina blinked. "Oh, I didn't mean to give offense. It's just, well, it's so obvious that you feel for her. I thought it was nice to see amidst all the gloom and doom recently."

Shī felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "No, you've got it wrong. Sakura loves...someone else. It's not like that with us."

Hina didn't try to fight him on it, she just smiled politely. "Well, if you say so. But when a girl lets you play with her hair the way she did, I think it means you're something special."

_What?_

No, that couldn't be right. It had been a selfish indulgence and something to take her mind off of Lee's death, not a proclamation of feelings. She loved _Uchiha Sasuke, _not him.

"_I know what he is."_

_He's fallen, that's what he is._

Sometimes Shī would awaken in a cold sweat, the memory of Sasuke's frigid chakra squeezing the life out of him still as clear as the day it had happened. More than anything, it had been the shocking cold that had prevented him from reacting in time to break the genjutsu. There was something dark about him, something awful and rotten that corrupted him to the core. He supposed if he'd realized that in the course of a few minutes, Sakura would have understood it better than anyone knowing him as long as she had.

"Are you okay?"

Hina was watching him, brow furrowed in slight worry as he spaced out. Shī banished his dark thoughts and nodded.

"Fine. Sorry, just...thinking."

"Don't think too hard," she said, smiling a little now that she saw he was himself again. "You'll think yourself into a hole."

"Yeah..."

Hina bowed and excused herself. Shī watched her go, suddenly in no hurry to talk to Ao. What was happening to him? It was silly to let himself daydream about old foes and impossible fantasies. This was reality, the gritty, dirty cesspool of a hospital barely staying afloat amidst the internecine happening just beyond the perimeter walls. There was no love her, no life or much hope at all. There was only death. Watching Lee die had proven that much.

But as Shī made his way to the communications tent on autopilot, he could not help but remember the tears in her eyes that brought out the green, so vivid and bright in this grey world. He didn't want to lose that feeling.

"_What do you want?"_

Shī clenched the fist that had been entangled in Sakura's hair only minutes ago. What he wanted was beyond his control. It lay among fields of gold, shining and warm and waiting for him to reach out.

Hina was wrong. There was no hope in reaching for what isn't there at all.

* * *

_I'm back. :) Action coming at you in a big way next chapter._


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